gfmertcau  actor  g^eries 


EDITED    BY    LAURENCE    HUTTON 


In  I 


AMERICAN   ACTOR    SERIES 


MRS.   DUFF 


BY 


JOSEPH    N.    IRELAND 


SHitfj  lEIIustrattons 


BOSTON 
JAMES    R.   OSGOOD    AND    COMPANY 

1882 


Copyright^  1882, 
By  James  R.  Osgood  and  Company. 

All  rights  reserved. 


e      t 


c  «  e   c        c 


Ixok  up,  my  fjiasters,  we  have  lost  a  star! 

I  looked    .     .     .     the  star  was  gone, 
And  nothing  marked  in  heaven  -where  she  had  shone. 

She  shall  not  pass  without  her  requiem. 

She,  lost  gem. 
Shall  be  remembered ;  thotigh  she  sought  not  fame. 
It  shall  be  busy  with  her  beauteous  nam^. 

Jean  Ingelow. 


991272 


CONTENTS. 


Pagb 

Introductory i 

1794- 1S09 5 

1810-1812 S 

1813-1816 18 

1817 20 

1818-1823 » 22 

1824 4^ 

1825 47 

1826 .  49 

1827 , 64 

1828 S7 

1S29 e 97 

1830 lOI 

1S31 106 

1832 114 

1833 T19 

1834 122 

1835 124 

1836 131 

1S37 » 133 

1838 133 

1839- 1853 134 

1854- 1857 140 

Appendix    I.  —  A    List    of    Characters    performed    by 

Mrs,  Duff 147 

Appendix  TI.  —  A    List    of   Characters    performed    by 

Mr.  Duff 155 

Note  of  Acknowledgment 164 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Mrs.  Duff  as  Mary  in  •*  Superstition  '"'  .    .     Frontispiece 

Mr.  Duff  as  Marmion i8 

Mr.  Duff  as  Hamlet 60 

Federal  Street  Theatre,  Boston 95 

Autograph  of  Mrs.  Duff 125 

Mrs.  Duff  at  the  age  of  Sixty 140 

From  a  Daguerreotype. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


If  it  be  due  to  pre-eminent  merit,  guided  and  glori- 
fied by  the  highest  histrionic  genius,  that  its  career 
should  be  held  in  remembrance  and  its  fame  per- 
petuated by  a  record  more  permanent  and  accessible 
than  the  mere  newspaper  notices  of  the  day,  then  a 
debt  has  long  been  owing  to  the  memory  of  Mrs. 
Duff,  which  all  the  resources  of  her  present  biographer, 
however  faithfully  applied,  will  be  quite  inadequate  to 
discharge. 

Acknowledged  without  dispute  for  many  years  as 
the  first  tragic  actress  of  our  stage,  it  is  certain  that 
she  had  never  been  ec^ualled  by  any  predecessor,  and 
very  doubtful  if  she  has  been  surpassed,  even  by  a 
Rachel  or  a  Ristori,  among  those  who  have  succeeded 
her. 

She  was  endowed  by  nature  with  every  mental 
.-ikculty  and  every  physical  requisite  for  pure  tragedy ; 
and  in  that  distinct  line,  and  in  that  line  only,  education 
and  experience  raised  her  (in  the  opinion  of  the 
\^Titer)  to  the  highest  rank  ever  attained  on  the  stage 
of  America.  She  possessed  a  person  of  more  than 
medium  height,  and  of  the  most  perfect  symmetry,  — 
not  so  commanding,  perhaps,  as  that  of  Mrs.  Siddons, 


2  INTRODUCTORY. 

but  far  more  available,  in  her  maturer  years,  for  the 
youthful  heroines  of  the  drama,  and  far  more  graceful 
and  pleasing  to  the  eye  than  Miss  Cushman  ever  pos- 
sessed. Her  face,  called  beautiful  in  her  girlhood, 
throughout  life  was  irradiated  by  eyes  of  the  darkest  hue 
and  most  speaking  intelligence.  The  varying  expression 
of  her  features  has  never  been  surpassed;  while  her 
voice  was  as  soft  and  musical,  in  its  quiet  tones,  as  (we 
are  told)  was  that  of  Mrs.  Gibber,  —  wild  and  plaintive 
in  its  ejaculations  of  distraction  and  despair,  yet  reso- 
nant and  thrilling  in  its  forceful  utterances.  It  was 
admirably  adapted  to  the  sorrows  of  the  rustic  heroines 
of  domestic  life  —  such  as  Annette  in  "  The  Maid  and 
Magpie,"  or  Mary  in  "  The  Innkeeper's  Daughter  "  — 
as  well  as  to  the  touching  and  exquisitely  natural  mad- 
ness of  Ophelia,  the  stormy  grief  of  Constaiice,  the 
grander  suffering  of  Lady  Macbeth,  and  the  very  tem- 
pest and  whirlwind  of  contending  passion  embodied  in 
her  unrivalled  Hermione. 

Unfortunately  for  Mrs.  Duff's  reputation  in  New 
York,  she  attained  distinction  and  popularity  in  Boston 
and  Philadelphia  before  being  introduced  to  the  stage 
of  the  Metropolis.  New  York,  like  London,  can  some- 
times be  jealous  of  her  sister  cities,  and  does  not  like  to 
be  called  upon  to  worship  the  idol  of  another  and  a 
smaller  place  ;  and,  therefore,  although  critical  judgment 
pronounced  her  worthy  of  the  highest  praise,  the  public 
—  with  honorable  exceptions  —  finding  that  she  bore 
no  foreign  endorsement,  looked  upon  her  simply  as  the 
favorite  of  a  provincial  town,  and  did  not  greet  her 
advent  with  that  general  and  enthusiastic  welcome  she 


INTRODUCTORY.  3 

SO  well  desen'ed.  The  few  who  saw  her  were  charmed 
with  her  personations,  but  fashion  could  not  be  in- 
duced to  interest  itself  in  her  behalf,  or  to  crowd  the 
house  when  her  name  was  first  announced.  She  was 
heartily  applauded  but  not  numerously  followed ;  and, 
although  she  finally  won  her  way  to  every  heart,  she 
never  became  an  attraction  powerful  enough  to  secure 
a  permanent  engagement  in  New  York's  leading 
theatre. 

Pronounced  by  the  elder  Booth  to  be  the  best  ac- 
tress in  the  world;  rebuked  by  the  elder  Kean  for 
attracting  from  him  his  proper  share  of  the  night's 
applause ;  complimented  by  Cooper  and  Forrest  as 
the  most  desirable  coadjutress  with  whom  they  had 
ever  been  associated ;  playing  with  the  elder  Conway 
to  be  proclaimed  his  superior ;  acknowledged  openly 
before  Judge  Ir\-ing,  in  the  New  York  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas,  by  William  M.  Price  (an  eminent  lawyer, 
and  brother  of  Stephen  Price,  the  lessee  of  the  old 
Park  Theatre,)  to  be  "  the  most  distinguished  actress  ifi 
this  or  any  other  country ;  "  honored  by  Horace  Gree- 
ley's printed  opinion  that  her  Lady  Alacbeth  has  never 
since  been  equalled;  and  sustained  by  the  criticisms 
of  the  entire  press  of  the  Union,  —  Mrs.  Duff  possessed 
higher  testimonials  of  ability  than  have  ever  been 
awarded  to  any  other  actress  on  the  American  stage ; 
and  these  have  been  reinforced  by  the  testimony  of 
that  glorious  artist  and  thoroughly  competent  judge, 
John  Gilbert,  who  at  the  present  day  asserts  that  she 
was,  without  exception,  the  most  exquisite  tragic  ac- 
tress he  ever  saw. 


4  INTROD  UCTOR  V. 

Except  as  her  professional  duties  required  her  ap- 
pearance before  the  public,  she  shunjied  the  gaze  of 
the  outer  world,  and  in  rural  retirement  sought  enjoy- 
ment congenial  to  her  taste.  Her  hours  of  leisure 
were  consecrated  to  the  care  and  instruction  of  her 
numerous  children,  and  her  devotion  to  them  and  to 
her  husband  was  the  constant  theme  of  remark  and 
admiration  among  her  personal  friends. 

Retiring  from  public  hfe  ere  age  had  dimmed  her 
marvellous  powers,  abjuring  the  Roman  Church,  in 
which  she  had  been  educated,  and  devoting  herself 
earnestly  and  faithfully  to  the  service  of  tlie  Methodist 
Communion  in  a  distant  section  of  our  countr}^,  Mrs. 
Duff  successfully  eluded  all  intercourse  with  those  who 
would  have  addressed  her  as  an  actress,  and  at  last 
sunk  into  the  grave,  unknown  to  her  old  friends  and 
associates  who,  with  affectionate  regard,  would  proudly 
though  mournfully  have  laid  her  down  in  honor  to  her 
last  repose. 

The  few  memorials  of  her  private  and  professional 
life  that  have  reached  the  writer  are  of  so  interesting 
a  character  that  he  places  them  on  record  for  the 
benefit  of  the  reader  of  theatrical  biography,  in  the 
endeavor  to  preserve  green  and  fresh  the  name  and 
the  memory  of  one  who  was  certainly  the  most  intel- 
lectual and  accomplished  actress  of  her  day. 


MRS.    DUFF. 


1794-1809. 

Attached  to  the  Dublin  Theatre  in  the  year  1809, 
in  the  capacity  of  dancers,  were  three  young  and  lovely 
girls  bearing  the  name  of  Dyke.  Of  their  previous 
history  little  is  known.  They  were  not  (as  frequently 
has  been  asserted)  natives  of  Ireland,  but  daughters 
of  an  English  gentleman  who  held  a  position  in  the 
service  of  the  East  India  Company ;  and  they  were  all 
born  in  London,  the  eldest,  our  heroine,  Mar3^in  the 
year  1794.  Their  father  died  abroad,  leaving  them  a 
scanty  heritage,  and  under  the  supervision  of  their 
mother  they  were  prepared  for  the  commencement  of 
a  stage  career  by  the  celebrated  D'Egville,  ballet- 
master  of  the  King's  Theatre,  London. 

Their  first  public  essay  appears  to  have  been  made 
on  the  boards  of  the  Dublin  Theatre,  where  their  singu- 
lar grace,  beauty^  and  modesty  attracted  inqmediate 
attention  and  admiration. 

It  was  the  fashion  of  the  time  at  Kilkenny  for  gentle- 
man amateurs  to  give  annual  public  performances  for 
the  benefit  of  the  poor  of  the  city ;  and  it  was  on  one 
of  these  occasions,  when  the  assistance  of  professional 


5  MRS.   DUFF. 

ladies  from  Dublin  was  invoked,  that  Moore,  the  Irish 
poet,  was  introduced  to  Mary  Dyke,  and  immediately 
found  himself  passionately  in  love  with  her.  We  have 
not  seen  a  programme  of  this  performance  in  which 
Miss  Mary  Dyke  took  part ;  but  one  for  the  succeeding 
ye^  fda-ted:  Honday,  Oct.  i,  1810,  after  she  had  de- 
parted for  Ainejica,  now  lies  before  us.  It  contains 
^,tl7€'  iiames-,of  hpr  sisters  and  announces  the  tragedy 
of  "  Coriolanus,"  with  Mr.  Becher,  afterwards  Sir  Wil- 
liam Wrixon  Becher,  and  husband  of  the  celebrated 
Miss  O'Neill,  as  Coj-iolaniis ;  Mr.  George  Ponsonby 
as  Meneniiis ;  Lieutenant  Walker,  R.  N.,  as  Siciuius ; 
Mr.  R.  Power  as  Tulhis  AiifiiUus ;  Miss  Walstein,  the 
reigning  favorite  of  Dublin,  as  Virgilia ;  Miss  Locke 
as  Volumnia ;  Miss  Elizabeth  Dyke  as  Valeria ;  and 
Miss  Ann  Dyke  as  Servilia.  In  the  afterpiece  of 
"  Fortune's  Frolic  "  Moore  himself  personated  Robin 
Roughhead.  and  Miss  E.  Dyke,  Nancy.  It  may  be 
mentioned  that  at  this  time  Moore,  having  been  dis- 
appointed in  his  hopes  of  obtaining  the  eldest  of  the 
family,  had  transferred  his  affections  to  Elizabeth  Dyke, 
the  second  sister,  whom  he  soon  after  married.  How 
far  Mary  Dyke  may  have  encouraged  Moore's  addresses 
cannot  now  be  ascertained;  but  it  is  certain  that  she 
rejected  his  offers  of  marriage,  —  a  circumstance  that 
gave  rise  to  the  composition  of  the  celebrated  song 
herewith  annexed. 

Mary,  I  believed  thee  true, 
And  I  was  blessed  in  thus  believing; 

But  now  I  mourn  that  e'er  I  knew 
A  girl  so  fair  and  so  deceiving,  — 
Fare  thee  well ! 


MRS.   DUFF.  7 

Few  have  ever  loved  like  me, — 

Yes,  I  have  loved  thee  too  sincerely  1 

And  few  have  e'er  deceived  like  thee,  — 
Alas  !  deceived  me  too  severely. 

Fare  thee  well !  yet  think  awhile 

On  one  whose  bosom  bleeds  to  doubt  thee, — 

Who  now  would  rather  trust  that  smile 
And  die  with  thee  than  live  without  thee. 

Fare  thee  well !     I'll  think  of  thee ; 

Thou  leav'st  me  many  a  bitter  token  ; 
For  see,  distracting  woman,  see. 

My  peace  is  gone,  my  heart  is  broken  !  — 
Fare  thee  well ! 

Moore  was  a  man  of  the  world,  accustomed  to  the 
society  of  ladies  both  in  Dublin  and  London  ;  and  there 
must  have  been  something  extremely  fascinating  about 
these  young  girls,  scarcely  half  his  own  age,  to  have 
induced  him  to  make  them  successively  proposals  of 
marriage.  He  appears  to  have  been  throughout  life 
devotedly  attached  to  his  wife,  who  proved  to  be  a 
most  amiable  and  domestic  woman ;  and  he  never 
omits  an  opportunity  in  his  "  Diary  and  Letters  "  to 
speak  of  her  in  terms  of  the  highest  admiration.  His 
Diary^which  is  said  to  have  been  carefully  prepared  by 
himself  for  posthumous  publication,  contains  no  allusion 
to  the  first-loved  sister,  however ;  and  a  letter  from  the 
Right  Honorable  Earl  Russell,  who  acted  as  its  editor, 
assures  us  that  he  has  no  remembrance  of  her  name 
occurring  in  any  of  his  papers,  although  Mrs.  Moore 
in  her  letters  makes  frequent  allusion  to  the  Dyke 
family.      The  latter   may  be    dismissed   from   further 


8  MRS.   DUFF. 

consideration  here,  with  the  remark  that  Ann  Dyke, 
the  youngest  sister,  married  WilHam  Murray,  who  was 
the  brother  of  Mrs.  Henry  Siddons,  and  for  thirty 
years  manager  of  the  Theatre  Royal,  Edinburgh.  Mrs. 
Murray,  hke  her  elder  sisters,  was  noted  for  her  beauty 
and  accomphshments,  but  unfortunately  she  died  soon 
after  her  marriage. 

1810-1812. 

The  cause  of  Mary  Dyke's  rejection  of  Moore  was 
soon  discovered  in  an  attachment  she  had  formed  for 
John  R.  Duff,  a  young  actor  connected  with  the  Dublin 
Theatre,  who  has  been  described  as  an  Apollo  in 
person  and  as  a  Crichton  in  accomplishments.  He 
had  been  a  classmate  of  Moore  in  Trinity  College,  and 
was  intended  for  the  practice  of  law,  but  he  was  fasci- 
nated by  the  allurements  of  the  stage,  and  finally 
became  an  actor  by  profession.  Showing  promise  of 
distinction,  he  was  recommended  by  Cooper  the  trage- 
dian, who  saw  him  in  Dublin,  to  Messrs.  Powell  and 
Dickson  of  the  Boston  Theatre,  by  whom  he  was 
immediately  engaged.  Having  married  Mary  Dyke 
before  she  had  completed  her  sixteenth  year,  he  em- 
barked with  her  for  America,  and  made  his  first  appear- 
ance at  the  old  Federal  Street  Theatre  in  Boston, 
Nov.  2,  1 810,  as  Qctaviai^  in  the  play  of  ''The  Moun- 
taineers," and  as  Baron  Willijighurst  in  the  musical 
farce  called  "  Of  Age  To-morrow."  The  critics  of  the 
day  stated  tliat  high  expectations  had  been  formed  of  his 
abilities,  and  that  those  expectations  were,  without  ex- 
ception, fully  reahzed.     His  second  appearance  was 


MRS.   DUFF.  g 

made  in  the  characters  of  Gossamer  and  ycremy  Did- 
dler,  in  which  his  success  was  even  more  pronounced. 
These  were  followed  by  Young  JVorvai,  Belcour  in  the 
''West  Indian,"  Geo?-ge  Barmvell,  Tekeli,  TaJigent, 
\Verter,2cs\^  on  the  30th  by  Hamlet,  —  the  last  eliciting 
the  following  comments  from  the  Boston  Gazette :  — 

"  The  Ha7nlct  of  Mr.  Duff,  though  in  many  parts,  par- 
ticularly the  Closet  scene,  remarkably  well  performed, 
will  not  be  ranked  among  the  characters  in  which  he 
is  destined  to  make  a  shining  figure.  His  forte  is 
genteel  and  sprightly  comedy;  or,  if  he  puts  on  the 
buskin,  it  should  be  to  impersonate  the  hghter  kind  of 
impassioned  heroes." 

A  subsequent  performance  of  the  character  drew 
forth  the  following  from  the  Boston  CeJitinel :  — 

''We  were  much  pleased  with  the  personation  of 
Hamlet  by  Mr.  Duff,  and  we  do  not  hesitate  to  say 
that  in  some  of  the  scenes  —  and  those  of  no  ordinary 
grade  of  difficulty  —  he  has  never  been  excelled  on  the 
Boston  boards." 

Whatever  difference  of  opinion  may  have  existed  as 
to  his  merit  in  particular  parts,  he  sgon  became  the 
acknowledged  favorite  of  the  Boston  public,  and  for 
many  years  retained  their  highest  esteem.  The  ma- 
turer  judgment  of  his  critics  awarded  him  his  greenest 
laurels  for  his  successes  in  light  comedy  ;  but  he  was  an 
actor  of  extraordinary  versatility,  unequalled  on  our 
stage  save  by  Hodgkinson,  and  surpassed  in  London 
only  by  Elliston,  whom  he  is  said  to  have  resembled 
more  closely  than  any  other  actor. 

For  imperative  reasons  Mrs.  Duffs  d^but  was  de- 


lO  MJ^S.   DUFF. 

ferred  until  the  31st  of  December,  18 10,  when  she  first 
attempted,  on  any  stage,  the  personation  of  Shake- 
speare's most  difficult  character  of  Juliet.  The  cast  of 
the  tragedy  on  this  occasion  may  be  not  without  inter- 
est, and  is  therefore  given  in  full :  — 

Romeo Mr.  Duff. 

Mercutio Mr.  Bernard. 

Tybalt Mr.  Darley. 

Paris Mr.  Vaughan. 

Benvolio Mr.  Robertson. 

Capulet Mr.  Barnes. 

Friar  Laurence Mr.  Drake. 

Friar  John Mr.  Graham. 

Peter Mr.  Entwistle. 

Apothecary Mr.  Fisher. 

Balthazar Mr.  Henry. 

Page Miss  Worrall. 

Lady  Capulet Mrs.  Drake. 

Nurse Mrs.  Barnes. 

Juliet Mrs.  Duff. 

Bernard  was  the  celebrated  and  favorite  English 
comedian  whose  "  Retrospections  "  have  furnished  so 
much  entertainment  to  all  readers  of  theatrical  books  ; 
Darley  was  the  handsome  father  of  our  modern  artist 
of  the  name,  but  his  talents  were  more  conspicuous  in 
the  vocal  than  the  tragic  line ;  Mr.  and  ^Mrs.  Drake 
were  the  grandparents  of  the  since  distinguished  Julia 
Dean  ;  Entwistle  was  a  newly  arrived  and  very  popular 
comedian ;  Mr.  Henry  was  the  father  of  the  beautiful 
Mrs.  George  Barrett ;  but  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnes  were 
not  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Barnes,  the  special  favorites  of 
New  York,  who  did  not  arrive  in  America  until  1816. 


MRS.   DUFF. 


II 


Mrs.  Duff's  first  representation  of  j^jdief,  a  character 
in'~\vhich  she  afterwards  became  famous,  was  not  a 
failure  —  neither  was  it  a  brilliant  success.     Mr.  Clapp 
\ATites  :    "  A  more  beautiful  woman  had  not  trod  the 
stage,  and  so  far  as  the  making-up  and  personnel  were 
concerned,  a  more  attractive  Juliet  had  never  appeared, 
but  the  '.spirit '  seemed  wanting.     Her  style  was  indif- 
ferent, and  she  lacked  both  conception  and  powej;." 
It  must  be  remembered  that  Mrs.  Duff  was  then  but 
sixteen  years  of  age,  and  that  experienced  critics  have 
asserted  that  no  woman  is  competent  to  play  Juliet 
till  she   is  too  old  to  look  the  part.      The   contrast 
between  the  earlier  and  latter  portions  of  the  character 
is  so  great  that  few  juvenile  artists  are  enabled  to  blend 
harmoniously  the  two  extremes.  /  Her  next  appearance 
was  on  the   3d  of  January,    181 1,  when  she   played 
Lady  Anne  to  the  Richard  III.  of  no  less  an  actor 
than  George  Frederick  Cooke,  the  gi-eatest  tragedian 
who  had  then  trod  our  stage,  —  following  it  with  Lady 
Rodolpha  Lumbercourt  to  the  veteran's  Sir  Pertinax 
MacSycflphafit,  Charlotte  to  his   Sir  Archy  MacSar- 
casm,  and  Lady  Pei'cy  to  his  Falstaff.      She_was  cast 
fot  many  important  second  characters  in  the  plays  that 
were  presented,  and  a  few  leading  ones, — among  others 
Miranda   to    her  husband's  Ma^-plot  in    •'  The   Busy 
Body,"  and  Eliza  Ratcliff  to  Bernard's  excellent  rep- 
resentation of  Sheva,  in  ''  The  Jew."    She  also  appeared 
as   the    heroines  of  the   two    serious    pantomimes  of 
"Oscar  and   IMalvina"  and  "Brazen  Mask"  —  very 
popular  entertainments  in  their  day;   and  the  graxie— 
and  expressiveness  of  her  pantc^mimic  action  met  with 
the  highest  commendation, 


12  MRS.   DUFF. 

On  the  29th  of  April,  181 1,  occurred  the  first  benefit 
in  America  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff,  the  bill  for  which  is 
produced  entire  :  — 

THE    HONEYMOON. 

Duke  Aranza Mr.  Duff. 

Rolando Mr.  Robertson. 

Count  Montalban Mr.  Vaughan. 

Balthazar Mr.  Drake. 

Jacques Mr.  Entwistle. 

Lampedo Mr.  Dickinson. 

Lopez Mr.  Roberts. 

Juliana Mrs.  Powell. 

Volante Mrs.  Doige. 

Zamora Mrs.  Duff. 

Hostess Mrs.  Barnes. 

Recitation,  Collins's  "  Ode  on  the  Passions,"  by  Mrs.  Duff, 
with  appropriate  music  and  action. 

A  Pas  Seul,  by  Mrs.  Duff. 

A  Pas  de  Deux  from  "  Oscar  and  Malvina,"  by  Mrs.  Duff 
and  Mr.  Fisher. 

To  conclude  with 

THREE   AND   THE   DEUCE. 

Pertinax,  Percival,  and  Peregrine  Single  .  Mr.  Duff. 

Justice  Touchit Mr.  Drake. 

McFloggan         Mr.  Bernard. 

Humphrey  Grizzle Mr.  Entwistle. 

Frank  Woodbin Mr.  Fisher. 

Monsieur  Renard Mr.  Darley. 

Pinch Mr.  Stockwell. 

Cramp Mr.  Graham. 

Emily Mrs.  Doige. 

Phoebe Mrs.  Darley. 

Taffline Mrs.  Graupner. 


MRS.   DUFF. 


13 


In  the  lastjiamed  piece  iSIr.  Duff  made  a  most  ex- 
traordinary hit,  and  his  representation  of  the  Three 
Singles,  became  his_most  popular  effort.  We  know  of 
his  performing  them  more  than  eighty  times,  and  he 
doubtless   gave    many  repetitions    of  which  we    have  (\ 

no  record.     To  those  who  knew  Mrs.  Duff  only  in  after  ^  o^ 
years,  the  idea  of  her  executing  a  pas  sen!  and  other  .^^y/^    y^ 
dances,  as  a  benefit  attraction,  must  seem  ludicrously 
strange  ;  yet  it  would  appear  that  in  ballet  and  j^anto- . ,  u 
niime  (the  latter  was  very  different  in  plot  and  con-  V 
struction  from  those  at  present  in  vogue)  she  had  made 
her  strongest  impression  on  theJBostQn  audience,  while 
to  her  Jiusband  were  assigned  all  the  laurels  of  the  legiti- 
mate drama. 

With  one  or  two  more  characters,  especially  that  of 
Vuiorda  in  Mrs.  Cowley's  "  Bold  Stroke  for  a  Husband," 
Mrs.  Duff  ended  her  first  season  in  America.  In  July 
the  Boston  company  made  its  annual  migration  to 
Providence,  R.  I.,  and  here  she  found  a  wider  sphere 
for  the  exercise  of  her  talents.  The  lovely  and  winning 
Mrs.  Darley,  the  late  leading  "juvenile  lady,"  having 
retired  from  the  ranks,  Mrs.  Duff  succeeded  to  most  of 
her  characters.  She  here  first  played  Ophelia  to  her 
husband's  Ha7nlet,  Statira  to  his  Alexander _iIi£jC^^€€i4T—' 
and  Charlotte  to  his  Werter.  |  She  repeated  Juliet 
with  more  success,  and  on  the  31st  of  July  made  a 
marked  hit  as  ^orgiana  in  the  "  Forty  Thieves,"  her 
traiii£d._sldlLas.  a  dancer  lending,  a  great jind  hitherto 
unknown  elegance  to  the  part.  On  the  7th  of  August 
she  first  essayed  Desde7?iona  (Mr.  Duff  playing  Othello), 
and  on  the  1 2th  made  her  first  attempt  as  ^ane  Shore, 


14 


MRS.   DUFF. 


which,  in  after-life,  was  thought  by  many  to  be  her  best 
performance.  During  the  season,  which  extended  to 
the  2  7th  of  September,  she  also  personated,  for  the  first 
time,  Ednmid-^  in  the  favorite—ineledfatftar-oi^-llThe 
Blind  Boy,"  Lady  True7?tan  in  Addison's  old  comedy 
of  "  The  Drummer,"  Cora  in  "  Pizarro  "  (in  which  her 
efforts  met  with  much  applause),  Marianne  in  "The 
Dramatist,"  Lady  Priory  in  "Wives  As  They  Were," 
and  Grace  Gay  love  in  "  The  Review."  She  and  her 
husband  also  appeared  as  the  _heroine_and  Jiero  of  a 
now  entirely  forgotten  play  by  John  Howard  Payne, 
entitled  "  Mazeppa,  the  Hetman  of  the  Ukraine,"  a 
very  different  production  from  the  more  modern  drama 
of  the  same  name.  Jler  youth,  beauty,  simpUcity  of 
manner,  melodious  voice,  and  faithful  earnestness  of 
endeavor  during  this  season  establishedjier  as  a  favor- 
ite in  Providence,  and  throughout  her  whole  career  she 
was  ever  there  a  welcome  visitor. 

Her  second  season  in  Boston  commenced  on  the 
14th  of  October,  181 1,  with  her  performance  of  the 
light-hearted  Emily  to  her  husband's  Gossamer  in  Rey- 
nolds's "  Laugh  When  You  Can,"  a  character  she  soon 
after  exchanged  for  the  matronly  and  sorrowing  Mrs, 
Morti?ner  in  the  same  comedy^  She~n^ext  appeared 
as  the  jniiQ££nt_aiid__interesting  Or  ilia  in  Dimond's 
"Adrian  and  OrillajoTarTCDllier's  Vengeance."  On 
the  20th  of  November  she  made  a  decided  impression 
in  her  first  really  original  character,  that  of  the  devoted 
daughter,  ^/^;c/;2<2,  in  Reynolds's  play  of  "The  Exile," 
then  first  performed  in  Boston,  where  it  was  represented 
many  times.    She  also  repeated  her  charming  perform- 


MRS.  DUFF. 


15 


ance  of  Morgiana  with  increased  effect.  In  the  suc- 
ceeding months  she  again  supported  Mr.  Cooke  during 
his  engagements,  and  appeared  for  the  first  time  as 
Leonora  to  his  Zanga  in  Dr.  Young's  tragedy  of  ''  The 
Revenge."  On  the  loth  of  February,  181 2,  she  played 
Ophelia  to  the  Hamlet  of  John  Howard  Payne,  then  in 
the  height  of  his  popularity  ;  and,  soon  after,  Sigismonda 
to  his  Ta7icred  in  Thomson's  not  very  successful  tragedy 
of  "  Tancred  and  Sigismonda."  Illness  then  for  a  fort- 
night detained  her  from  her  duties,  but  on  the  28th 
she  reappeared  as  Ciiidej-ella  m  the  ballet  pantomime 
of  that  name  ;  a  part  which  was  "elegantly  represented," 
according)  to  the  Boston  papers,  and  repeated  for  six 
successiv^  nights,  —  a  most  prosperous  run  for  those 
days. 

hiff  now  made  a  journey  to  Philadelphia  and 
opened  there  as  Macbeth^^nd  Jeremy  Diddler  to  a 
house  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-three  dollars,  which 
was  followed  by  a  continuous  increase  of  receipts  until 
his  benefit  night,  when  they  exceeded  eleven  hundred 
dollars.  His  performances  gave  entire  satisfaction 
and  the  press  was  unanimous  in  the  wish  that  he  might 
soon  form  a  component  part  of  the  Philadelphia  Thea- 
tre. "  On  his  return  to  Boston  he  was  announced  as 
Daran  to  Mrs.  Duff's  Alexina  in  "The  Exile."  The 
Gazette,  in  noticing  his  reappearance,  remarked  that 
he  had  been  eminently  successful  in  Philadelphia,  and 
asserted  that  he  possessed  a  versatility  of  talent  not  to 
be  found  in  any  other  actor  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
On  the  30th  of  March,  Morton's  unfortunate  failure, 
"  The  Knight  of  Snowdoun  "  (from  Scott's  "  Lady  of 


1 6  MRS.   DUFF. 

the  Lake  ")  was  first  played  in  Boston,  —  Mr.  Duff  per- 
forming Roderick  Dhii  (a  character  which  in  Eyre's 
subsequent  version  jofuhe-^oem-  he  made  for  years 
exclusivei^This  o\^^l)  and  Mrs.  Duff,  Elleii  Douglas. 
\  For  their  joint  benefit  on  the  20th  of  April  ]Mr. 
Duff  appeared  as  Leon  in  ''  Rule  a  Wife  and  Have  a 
Wife,"  as  Sylvester  Daggerwood,  and  as  Looney  Mc- 
Twolter  in  "  The  Review  "  ;  while  Mrs.  Duffs  name  is 
set  down  only  for  Grace  Gaylove  in  the  farce,  even  the 
attraction  of  her  dancing  being  omitted.  She  was 
however  called  on  to  execute  a  pas  seiil  for  stately 
Mrs.  Powell's  benefit  on  the  4th  of  Tvlay,  on  which 
night  she  closed  her  second  dramati^  season  in  Boston, 
in  the  interesting  character  of  Rose  Sid?iey  in  ^lorton's 
comedy  of  "  Secrets  Worth  Ki 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff  now  joined  the  company  of 
Messrs.  Warren  and  Wood,  of  the  Philadelphia  and 
Baltimore  Theatres,  in  whose  service  they  remained 
permanently  for  five  years.  Mr.  Duff  made  his  debut 
in  Baltimore,  May  20,  181 2,  as  Macbeth  and  Jeremy 
Diddler,  the  same  characters  in  which  he  first  pre- 
sented himself  at  Philadelphia,  and  with  the  same 
success.  Mrs.  Duff's  first  appearance  in  Baltimore 
was  as  Zamora  in  "  The  Honeymoon."  On  their 
benefit  night  she  appeared  as  Alalvina  in  "  Oscar  and 
Malvina,"  Mr.  Duff  personating  Carrol  in  that  piece,  as 
well  as  the  Three  Singles  and  Sylvester  Daggerwood. 

They  next  visited  Washington  where  the  prospect 
of  a  successful  season  was  clouded  by  the  declaration 
of  war  against  Great  Britain.  From  June  16  to 
August    10,  however,  they  were   constantly  employed 


MRS.  DUFF.  ly 

in  leading  parts,  and  on  their  benefit  night  Mr.  Duff 
appeared  as  J^olla  and  Petruchio,  and  Mrs.  Duif  as 
Cora. 

The  company  opened  in  Philadelphia  in  the  follow- 
ing September,  with  Mr.  Duff  as  Odavian  and  jfererny 
Diddler,  and  on  the  3d  of  October  Mrs.  Duff  made 
her  first  appearance  there  as  Angela  in  "  The  Castle 
Spectre."  Mr.  W.  B.  Wood  says:  " At_this-iin^€-she 
was_y£]^f-pfetty,  but  so  tame  an^  indolent  as  to,^e 
no  hope  of  the  improvement  we  afterwards  witnessed. 
Mr.  Duffs  salary  was  six  guineas  a  week,*  and  he 
often  played,  on  his  sole  attraction,  to  houses  of  seven 
or  eight  hundred  dollars,  and  brought  more  positive 
profit  to  the  house  in  two  years  than  any  star  who 
visited  us.  His  benefit,  for  which  he  performed  Corio- 
ianus,  brought  fifteen  hundred  and  seventy-four  dollars, 
which  greatly  exceeds  most  of  Cooke's,  Kean's,  or ' 
Mathews's.  For  his  wife's  benefit  he  personated  Rich- 
ard III.  (in  imitation  of  and  precisely  after  the  man- 
ner of  Cooke)  to  Mrs.  Duffs  Lady  Anne^  the  receipts 
being  nine  hundred  and  forty-nine  dollars." 

*  Mr.  J.  T.  Buckingham,  in  the  Boston  Polyanthos  iox  March, 
18 1 2,  says  that  Mr.  Duff's  successful  exertions  in  Philadelphia 
"  have  secured  him  an  engagement  there  for  the  next  season, 
with  a  salary  of  fifty-six  dollars  a  week."  This  probably  was 
the  joint  salary  of  himself  and  wife.  Small,  indeed,  compared 
with  terms  of  the  present  day,  but  liberal  for  the  time.  Mr. 
Thomas  Barry,  well  known  in  Boston,  assured  the  writer  that 
in  1827  when  "  leading  man"  in  the  Park  Theatre,  New  York, 
his  salary  was  but  five  pounds  a  week,  until  he  assumed  the 
duties  of  stage  management. 


1 8  MRS.   DUFF. 

1813-1816. 

On  the  I  St  of  January,  181 3,  Mr._JDiifC  sheared  as 
Marmion  in  J.  N.  Barker's  spirited  adaptation  of  Scott's 
poem,  then  first  placed  upon  the  stage.  He  met  with 
great. success,  in  this  character,  in  which  his  portrait 
was  painted  by  Neagle  and  engraved  by  A.  B.  Durand. 
Mrs- JOuff  represented  Clara  de  Clare  efficiently.  She 
as  jet  had  developed  but  Httle  force,  and  her  most 
successful  representations  w^ere  confined  to  characters 
requiring  loveliness  of  person,  with  expressive  sim- 
pUcity  and  .pathetic  tenderness  of  delineation,  X^^^essy 
Oatla?id,  Mary  Thornberry,  and  Emily  Worthington, 
in  which  she  was   very  favorably  received. 

During  their  residence  in  Philadelphia  Mrs.  Mason 
(afterwards  Mrs.  Entwistle)  was  deservedly  the  favor- 
ite and  principal  comedienne,  and  Mrs.  W.  B.  Wood 
the  leading  tragic  actress.  As  Mr.  Wood  looked  upon 
his  wife  as  the  only  lady  required  for  the  tragic  depart- 
ment, and  as  Mrs.  Duff  had  litde  mirthfulness  or  gayety 
in  her  composition,  her  chances  for  prominent  charac- 
ters were  very  few ;  nevertheless,  she  was  occasionally 
entrusted  with  Ophelia  and  Cordelia,  as  well  as  Lady 
Percy,  Lady  Anne,  Floranthe,  and  a  few  others.  She 
also  played  Edmond  in  "The  Blind  Boy  "  and  ^iilio 
in  "  Deaf  and  Dumb,"  characters  of  which  Mrs.  Charles 
Kemble  was  the  celebrated  original  in  London,  and 
the  latter  of  which  was  last  played  in  New  York  by 
the  fascinating  Mademoiselle  Celeste.  Mrs.  Duffs 
beaudful  figure  enhanced  the  charm  of  her  acting  as 
boys  and  pages,  in  which  line  she  soon  became  an 


MRS.   DUFF.  ig 

acknowledged. favorite.  Mr.  Duff  however  was  the 
main  attraction,  and  his  excellent  performances  as  The 
i^^fTudf.,  Mannion^  Roderick  Dhu,  Abcellino,  Tekeli, 
and  other  striking  melodramatic  heroes,  added  to  his 
high  reputation  as  well  as  to  the  treasury  of  the 
theatre. 

A  grand_  array  of  histrionic  talent  was  congregated 
in  Philadelphia  at  this  period.  Huff  and  Wood  were 
the  leading  favorites  in  the  highest  departments.  War- 
ren^ father  of  the  William  Warren  of  to-day,  was  the 
most  perfect  ''  old  man "  of  comedy  or  tragedy  then 
known  in  America ;  and  Jefferson  (grandfather  of  the 
present  Jefferson),  a  most  distinguished  comedian, 
was  at  home  in  every  branch  of  humor.  Francis  was 
an  excellent  ^'  second  comic  old  man  "  and  an  efficient 
director " of  fHe  ballet,  and  his  wife  was  the  best  "old 
woman  "  and  '^  chambermaid  "  of  that  time.  "  Gentle- 
man" George  Barrett  was  there  in  all  the  freshness 
of  his  youth  and  almost  in  all  the  maturity  of  his 
excellence,  the  eloquent  Cone  (afterwards  a  Baptist 
clergyman,  and  grandfather  of  the  present  Kate  Clax- 
ton),  BHssett  (the  most  admirable  of  all  artists  in  small 
comedy  or  French  parts),  Mrs.  Wood,  Mrs.  Mason, 
Mrs.  Barrett,  Sr.,  Mrs.  Jefferson,  Mrs.  W.  Green 
(formerly  the  lovely  Miss  Willems,  whose  only  daughter 
was  burned  in  the  Richmond  Theatre  in  1811),  our 
own  fair  heroine,  and  a  numerous  corps  of  secondary 
rank,  formed  a  company  stronger  in  every  department 
than  either  New  York  or  Boston  could  boast. 

In  calling  attention  to  Mr.  Duff's  benefit  in  18 13, 
the  Philadelphia  Aurora  said  :  "  Never  have  we  seen 


20  ^RS.   DUFF. 

such  .Yan£±y..,and  contrast  of  character,  united  with 
so  much  excellence  in  all,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  per- 
formances of  Mr.  Duff.  Never  do  we  recollect  so 
great  a  loss,  as  that  of  the  drama  in  the  death  of  Cooke, 
so  immediately  and  so  admirably  compensated.  It  is 
not  indeed  Cooke,  nor  Cooke's  cast  of  manner  and 
personification,  but  it  is  another  planet  in  a  larger  orbit, 
and  so  incomparable  in  what  he  does  that  pleasure 
and  applause  are  invariably  associated  with  his  ap- 
pearance." 

1817. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff  continued  with  the  Philadelphia 
managers  until  July  181 7,  ever  attractive  and  in  re- 
ceipt of  liberal  benefits.  During  their  long  engage- 
ment they  occasionally  appeared  in  the.  sa^e  plays 
with  the  celebrated  Mrs.  Whitelock  (sister  of  Mrs. 
Siddons),  Mr.  Holman  and  daughter  (afterwards  Mrs. 
Gilfert),  Mr.  Cooper,  the  distinguished  amateur  Gou- 
verneur  Bibby,  and  other  prominent  performers. 

During  occasional  vacations  Mr.  Duff  revisited 
Providence  on  a  starring  engagement,  and  also  pre- 
sented himself  with  success  for  the  first  time  to  the 
audiences  of  New  York  and  Albany. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff  now  rejoined  the  Boston  Com- 
pany, the  former  becoming  associated  in  its  man- 
agement with  Messrs.  Powell  and  Dickson.  In  a 
preHminary  season  at  Providence  Mrs.  Duff  made  her 
first  appearance  in  five  years,  Sept.  i,  181 7,  as  Rosalie 
Somers,  the  once  interesting  (but  now  called  insipid) 
heroine  of  Morton's  comedy  of  "  Town  and  Country." 


MRS.   DUFF. 


21 


On  the  6th  of  October  the  Boston  Theatre  reopened 
with  "The  School  for  Scandal,"  in  which  appeared 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frederick  Brown,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S. 
Wheatley,  ^Ir.  and  Mrs.  Drummond,  Mrs.  Barnes,  and 
Messrs.  Bernard,  W.  Green,  Hughes,  Bray,  Pelby,  and 
Dykes. 

Frederick  BrowTi's  position  at  this  time  was  so  good 
that  he  very  unwillingly  played  second  even  to  Cooper 
or  Wallack.  His  wife,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Charles  Kemble, 
was  an  excellent  actress  of  soubrettes,  and  was  popular 
in  a  wide  range  of  comic  characters.  The  beautiful 
Mrs.  Drummond,  later  Mrs.  George  Barrett,  became  a 
great  favorite  throughout  the  entire  Union,  and  Mr. 
Pelby,  whose  name  now  stood  opposite  to  old  Rowley, 
was  in  after  years  to  play  Hamlet,  Bei'tram,  and  Pes- 
cara  with  general  acceptance.  Mr.  Hughes  aftenvard 
became  the  husband  of  the  lady  so  well  remembered, 
as  the  companion  of  Burton,  in  Mrs.  Toodles  and  Lady 
Sowerby  Crea7?ily.  Mrs.  §,  Wheatley,  once  known  as 
Mrs.  Williams,  was  the  Lady  Teazle  of  the  evening 
and  the  "  leading  high  comedy  "  actress  of  the  company, 
but  was  not  Mrs.  Sarah  Wheatley,  wife  of  Frederick 
Wheatley,  who  was  so  long  the  peerless  "old  lady  "  of 
New  York,  with  whom  she  has  often  been  confounded. 

Mr.  Duff  opened  on  the  9th  in  "  Macbeth,"  and  on 
the  loth  Mrs.  Duff,  made  her  first  appearance  as  Ros- 
alie So7nerSj,^  H^er-impravemeat-^was  at  once  noticed, 
and  she  was  now  pronounced  as  interesting  as  an  ac- 
tress as  she  always  had  been  as  a  woman.  Her  power- 
ful and  harmonious  voice  was  highly  praised,  and  its 
modulated  tones  of  tenderness  and  pathos  were  said' 
to  be  very  effective.  -  —  .      . 


22  ^^^S-   BUFF. 

1818-1823. 

In  February,  ^818,  JJrs^_Du£f  presented  a  perfect 
picture  of  Shakespeare's  Juliet,  her  Romeo  being  the 
then  elegant  and  universally  admired  Cooper.  Her  im- 
provement here  was  great  and  wonderful.  She  had  all 
the  loveliness  and  innocence  of  youth,  the  fer\^or  and 
force  of  passion,  the  ecstacy  of  joy,  and  the  agony  of 
grief,  terror,  and  despair,  combined  in  her  most  har- 
monious and  powerfully  developed  personation.  In 
March  she  played  jfane  Shore,  the  cruelly  tried  Julia 
in  Sheridan's  "  Rivals  "  (a  character  once  performed 
by  Mrs.  Siddons,  but  now  disliked  of  all  actresses,  and 
entirely  ehminated  from  Mr.  Jefferson's  late  elegant 
revival  of  the  comedy),  Staiira,  Orasmyn  the  boy  in 
the  romance  of  "  The  Ethiop  ;  "  and  for  her  benefit, 
Cora  in  "Pizarro"  and  Irene  in  "Blue  Beard."  In 
Philadelphia  she  had  played  the  Princess  in  the  Eastern 
tale  of  "  Aladdin."  She  here  portrayed  for  a  succes- 
sion of  nights  the  roguish  young  scamp  himself. 

In  August,  at  Providence,  she  first  attempted  the 
shrewish  yuliana  in  Tobin's  "  Honeymoon,"  a  part 
which  reverted  to  Mrs.  Powell  on  the  opening  of  the 
Boston  Theatre  in  September.  In  October  she  made 
a  hit  as  Myrtillo  the  dumb  boy  in  "The  Broken 
Sword,"  and  on  the  30th  of  November,  on  the  elder 
James  W.  Wallack's  first  appearance  in  Boston  in  his 
favorite  part  of  Rolla,  her  Cora  materially  added  to 
the  brilliancy  of  his  success.  She  also  enacted  Des- 
de7no7ia  to  his  Othello,  and  Ophelia  to  his  Hamlet. 
Morgiana  was  frequently  repeated.     In  the  new  melp- . 


MRS.   DUFF. 


23 


(Jrama  of  "Maid  and  Magpie  "  she  made  a  powerful 
impression  as  Annette,  and  in  the  novelty  "  The  Falls 
of  Clyde  "  she  personated  Ellen  Enfield  seven  times, 
—  an  unusual  run  for  the  period.  A  more  extraordinary 
effort  of  hers,  if  the  music  of  the  part  was  given,  is 
recorded  on  the  17  th  of  February,  18 19,  when  she 
played  Louisa  in  Sheridan's  opera  of  "  The  Duenna." 
Little  has_been  said  of  Mrs.  Duffs  musical  accomplish- 
ments~in~pnbiic^_but  she  has  been  representecLas,a 
very  sweet  and  charming  songstress  in  private  life  ;  and 
she  had  previously  in  Baltimore  appeared  as  Mrs. 
Cornflower,  the  heroine  of  Dibdin's  opera  "The  Far- 
mer's Wife." 

On  the  31st  of  March,  the  Columbian  Centinel  csWed 
attention  to  her  benefit  in  the  following  article  :  "  We 
hear  with  pleasure  that  the  present  appearance  of  the 
box-book  presages  a  full  auditory  this  evening,  when 
Mrs.  Duff  will  attempt  a  benefit.  To  the  ladies  of 
Boston  we  trust  it  is  not  necessary  to  point  out  the 
merits  of  this  amiable  actress,  and  if  the  gentlemen 
neglect  to  patronize  their  o^\^l  sex  it  is  hoped  they  will 
not  extend  their  neglect  to  the  ladies.  We  hope  there- 
fore that  some  of  that  exuberance  of  patronage  which 
has  been  bestowed   on  comets   will  not  be  withheld 

from   THIS    BRILLIANT     THOUGH    FIXED     StAR."       On    this 

occasion  Mrs.  Duff  represented  Annette,  and  also 
Elizeiie  in  the  first  performance  of  "The  Forest  of 
Hermanstadt."     ' 

This  season  —  which  was  remarkable  for  the  intro- 
duction to  the  Boston  stage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bartley 
and  Mr.  Wallack,  for  an   unusually  long  engagement 


24  ^^J^S.   DUFF. 

of  Mr.  Cooper,  for  the  highly  successful  performance 
of  Mr.  Duff  in  the  operatic  part  of  Cou?it  Belino  with 
all  its  music,  and  for  the  Farewell  to  the  profession 
of  the  veteran  Bernard  —  closed  on  the  7th  of  June 
with  Mrs.  Duffs  performance  of  Bertha  in  "The 
Point  of  Honor  "  and  Amazaide  in  the  romance  of 
"Zembucca." 

Mr.  Duff  is  found  in  July  enacting  Gossamer,  Bel- 
coiir,  Tekeli,  etc.  in  Providence,  his  wife  playing  all 
the  leading  female  characters.  During  that  month 
]Mr.  Thomas  Betterton  —  the  celebrated  actor  of  Lon- 
don and  Dublin,  and  father  of  the  more  celebrated 
Mrs.  Glover  —  made  his  first  appearance  there  as  Vapid 
in  "The  Dramatist,"  subsequently  playing  Major 
O' Flaherty  in  "  The  West  Indian,"  with  Mrs.  Duff  as 
Marianne  and  Charlotte  Rusport.  During  this  month 
she  was  seen  in  the  pathetic  character  of  Mary  in 
"The  Innkeeper's  Daughter,"  and  in  all  the  trusting 
simplicity  of  Cecily  Ho?7iespun,  with  peculiar  effect. 

On  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Duff's  benefit,  September 
8,  he  again  repeated  Coimt  Belino,  with  all  the 
music,  and  for  the  first  time  Mrs.  Duff  gave  the  songs 
of  Cou7itess  Rosalvina.  Of  Mr.  Duff's  merits  in  Count 
Belifio  much  discussion  has  taken  place  in  latter  years ; 
but  as  he  performed  the  part  in  Boston,  Providence, 
Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore  with  applause  to  crowded 
houses,  and  selected  it  on  several  occasions  for  his 
benefits,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  public  verdict 
at  the  time.  He  had  been  led  to  undertake  the  char- 
acter by  the  great  success  of  Thomas  Philipps  in  it, 
and  one  of  his  personal  friends  said  that  his  voice  was 


MRS.   DUFF. 


25 


music  itself,  and  his  ear  so  correct  that  ever}^  point  of 
Philipps's  beauties  was  truly  given. 

To  Mr.  Durang  of  Philadelphia  Mr.  Duff  himself 
made  the  following  remarks  :  "  Charley,  I  am  puzzled 
to  know  whether  acting  and  singing  are  humbugs  or 
not.  There  is  poor  Wheatley*  whom  the  audience 
here  will  not  listen  to,  yet  in  Dublin  he  led  the  busi- 
ness and  supported  Mrs.  Siddons  in  all  her  pieces; 
and  here  am  I,  without  knowing  a  note  of  music,  sing- 
ing and  playing  the  part  of  Coti?it  Belmo  after  Philipps, 
who  is  one  of  the  first  musicians  of  England, —  and  I've 
made  by  it  in  Philadelphia  in  three  performances  as 
much  as  Philipps  during  his  whole  engagement.  I 
confess  it  was  impudence  in  me ;  but  the  pubUc  liked 
it,  so  no  matter  !  " 

The  Boston  season  commenced  October  11,  but 
Mrs.  Duff's  appearance  was  delayed  until  the  31st  of 
December,  when  she  came  forward  in  the  character 
of  Adela  in  M.  M.  Noah's  drama  of  "  She  Would  be 
a  Soldier,  or  The  Battle  of  Chippewa ; "  her  husband 
representing  the  Indian  Chief,  originally  personated  in 
New  York  by  Maywood,  and  afterward  by  Edwin 
Forrest,  —  whose  very  successful  and  realistic  embodi- 
ment of  the  Aboriginal  character  in  that  play  first  sug- 
gested the  creation  of  his  still  more  successful  role  of 
Metamora. 

After   two    or   three   representations   of  the   drama 

*  This  refers  to  Mr^  I.  Wheatley,  long  a  serious  actor  on 
the  Philadelphia  stage,  not  to  Mr.  S.  Wheatley,  to  Mr.  Freder- 
ick Wheatley,  nor  to  the  latter's  more  popular  son  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Wheatley. 


^ 


26  MRS.  DUFF. 

Mrs.  Duff  was  again  absent  from  the  stage  until  the 
8th  of  May,  1820,  when  "The  Bride  of  Abydos  "  was 
brought  out  with  great  splendor,  —  the  heroine  Zulieka 
being  in  her  hands  the  principal  feature  of  the  piece, 
and  one  of  her  most  admired  and  popular  personations. 
She  continued  to  perform  it  for  many  years  in  the 
principal  theatres  of  the  country. 

At  this  period  it  rarely  happened  that  a  new  play  was 
produced  more  than  six  or  eight  times  during  any  one 
season,  and  stars  usually  varied  every  night's  perform- 
ance throughout  an  engagement.  The  run  of  any 
play  as  at  the  present  time  was  unknown  and  entirely 
unanticipated.  During  this  month  she  again  sup- 
ported Mr.  Wallack  as  Juliet,  Cora,  Zorayda,  etc., 
and  brought  the  season  to  a  close  on  the  9th  of  June 
with  her  performance  of  Lady  Amaranth  in  ''Wild 
Oats  "  to  her  husband's  Rover,  and  Myrtillo  to  his 
Estevaji,  for  their  joint  benefit. 

In  the  succeeding  Providence  campaign  she  per- 
sonated no  new  characters ;  but  her  Morgiana,  as  of 
old,  met  with  a  warm  greeting. 

The  Boston  Theatre  reopened  on  the  2d  of  Octo- 
ber with  Mr.  and  ]Mrs.  Duff  as  Major  O' Flaherty  and 
Charlotte  Riisport,  and  on  the  9th  they  appeared  as 
Lord  Hastings  and  Jane  Shore,  —  the  lady's  persona- 
tion of  the  latter  character  raising  her  in  a  marked 
degree  in  the  estimation  of  the  pubhc,  which  was  still 
further  increased  on  the  13th  of  the  same  month  by 
her  impassioned  representation  of  Herjnione  in  "  The 
Distrest  Mother,"  taken  from  Racine's  "  Andromaque." 
This  was  the  character  in  which  the  Bostonians  first 


MRS.   DUFF. 


27 


fully  appreciated  her_geniiis^  and  talents,  and  in  which, 
throwing  aside  all  tameness  and  restraint,  she  perhaps 
first  fully  developed  the  fire  and  passion  that  had  long 
been  slumbering  in  her  soul. 

Her  next  success  was  in  a  character  of  a  different , 
cast,  that  oi Lady  Alargaretm  "The  Vampire,  or  Bride  of 
the  Isles,"  followed  by  her  still  moreJ;)eautiful  and  touch- 
ing personation  of  the  exquisitely  dra\vTi  character  of 
jfeafiie  Deans  in  "The  Heart  of  Mid  Lothian."  In 
November  she  added  a  part  of  a  totally  different  de- 
scription to  her  list,  that  of  the  Countess  of  Lovelaiigh 
in  the  comedy  of  "  Rochester,"  which  proved  to  be 
one  of  her  very  few  positive  triumphs  in  the  comic  line. 
Later  in  the  month  she  again  lent  her  aid  to  Mr.  Cooper 
in  a  round  of  tragedies  and,  in  Ophelia  especially,  re- 
ceived renewed  evidence  of  popular  appreciation. 

In  January,  182 1,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Barnes  of  the 
New  York  Theatre  fulfilled  a  star  engagement,  during 
which  on  one  occasion  the  names  of  these  sometimes 
called  rival  actresses  were  contained  in  the  same  cast. 
This  was  on  the  21st  of  that  month,  in  Sheridan's 
comedy  of  "The  Rivals,"  and  as  the  distribution  was 
a  very  remarkable  one  it  is  here  presented  entire  :  — 

Sir  A.  Absolute Mr.  J.  Barnes. 

Captain  Absolute Mr.  F.  Brown. 

Sir  L.  O'Trigger Mr.  Duff. 

Bob  Acres Mr.  Bray. 

Falkland Mr.  Pelby. 

David Mr.  Roberts. 

Mrs.  Malaprop Mrs.  Barnes. 

Lydia  Languish Mrs.  J.  Barnes. 

Julia Mrs.  Duff. 

Lucy Mrs.  Pelby. 


28  ^RS.   DUFF. 

There  is  no  record  of  any  other  appearance  of 
Mrs.  Duff  and  Mrs,  Barnes  in  the  same  bill.  Old 
Jack  Barnes  and  his  wife  were  unbounded  favorites  of 
the  New  York  public.  Mrs.  J.  Barnes,  possessing  great 
versatility  and  having  real  merit,  ranked  for  many 
years  in  tragedy  second  only  to  Mrs.  Duff.  The  Mrs. 
Barnes  (previously  Miss  Bates)  cast  for  Mrs.  Malaprop 
was  the  best  "  old  woman  "  then  known  on  the  Boston 
boards. 

In  February  Mrs.  Duff's  name  is  found  for  the  first 
time  as  Lady  Randolph  in  "  Douglas,"  a  part  in  which 
her  representation  of  a  mother's  love  and  tenderness 
has  never  been  equalled  on  our  stage  ;  so  say  those  who 
saw  it.  The  engagement  of  Edmund  Kean  during  this 
month  created  a  furor  of  excitement,  and  he  himself 
became  the  lion  of  the  day.  After  playing  nine  nights 
—  sharing  receipts  with  the  management  after  a  thou- 
sand dollars  per  week,  which  resulted  in  giving  him 
thirty-three  hundred  dollars — he  was  re-engaged  for  six 
nights  at  fifty  pounds  sterling  per  night  and  a  clear 
benefit,  from  which  engagement  he  realized  twenty-one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  On  the  19th  Mrs.  Duff 
played  Ophelia  to  his  Hamlet,  drawing  forth,  in  a  criti- 
cism on  his  acting,  the  remark  that  "  in  Ophelia  Mrs. 
Duff  was  uncommonly  impressive."  She  twice  played 
Cordelia  to  his  Lear  ;  and,  on  his  benefit  night,  LLennione 
to  his  Orestes.  She  had  before  played  the  character 
with  applause  but,  stimulated  by  the  unwonted  excel- 
lence of  her  support,  her  genius  now  essayed  its  highest 
flight  and  won  the  crown  it  had  so  long  deserved.  It 
was  while  rehearsing  this  part  that  Mr.  Kean  is  said  to 


MRS.   DUFF. 


29 


have  requested  her  to  play  with  less  force  and  intensity , 
or  her  acting  would  throw  him  into  the  background ; 
to  which  she  replied  that,  though  she  honored  his  rank    \ 
and  position  in  the  profession,  her  duty  to  herself  and 
the  public  would  constrain  her  always  to  play  to  the 
best  of  her  ability.     Her  hour  of  supreme  triumph  had 
at  length  arrived,  for  at  night  her  performance  fairly 
divided  with  Mr.  Kean's  the  applause  of  the  house, 
which  unanimously  pronQimced-het-the-eqiial- of- th€ 
greatest^ct^r^f  the  age ;  and  in  theatrical  circles  her^ 
brilliant  success  was  the  leading  subject  of  conyersatioB. 
Kean  himself  was  so  astonished   at   her  personations 
that  he  said  she  was  the  superior  of  any  actress  on  the    J 
British  stage,  —  an  opinion  that  he  frequently  rQiterated.  / 

She  soon  after  appeared  as  the  Coiuiiess  Adela  in  '^The 
Warlock  of  the  Glen  "  and  Helen  Mar  in  "  The  Hero  of 
Scotland,"  characters  in  which  she  won  great  local 
popularity  and  which  she  chose  for  her  benefit  on  the 
26th  of  March.  In  an  article  in  the  Centmel  calling 
attention  to  this  event,  it  is  remarked  that  "  the  pro- 
fessional talents  of  Mrs.  Duff  have  not  been  sufficiently 
known  or  estimated  in  this  tOAvn.  Her  personations 
during  the  engagements  of  Messrs.  Cooper  and  Kean 
the  present  season  have  elicited  the  wannest  and  most 
general  applause,  and  they  were  among  the  first  oppor- 
tunities the  public  availed  themselves  of  to  know  and 
appreciate  her  excellence  and  to  award  to  her  the 
meed  she  has  so  long  deserved.  Her  Ophelia,  Cor- 
delia, Tarquinia,  and  Hermione  will  long  be  remem- 
bered as  among  the  highest  displays  of  histrionic 
talent."   -  - 


30  MRS.   DUFF. 

The  Boston  Gazette  published  the  following  :  — 
"  Mrs.  Duff.  It  so  seldom  happens  that  a  theme 
presents  itself  upon  which  we  can  bestow  our  unquali- 
fied approbation  that  we  can  by  no  means  forego  the 
gratification  of  saying  a  few  words  respecting  this  favor- 
ite actress.  A  favorite  she  has_always— beerr^'bul  not 
without  some  touch  of  alloy.  Hitherto  she  has  lacked 
animation  ;  but  this  season,  especially  during  the  en- 
gagement of  Mr.  Kean,  she  has  burst  from  our  dramatic 
constellation  like  a  celestial  stranger.  She  has  evinced 
new  powers  and  has  proved  that  she  is  possessed  of 
talents  which  must  raise  her  to  the  foremost  rank  of 
her  profession.  Never  within  our  recollection  has  an 
actress,  who  deservedly  ranked  so  high  before,  raised^ 
herself  so  much  in  the  estimation  of  the  public  within 
a  month  as  Mrs.  Du£f." 

And  onthe  day  of  her  benefit  this  additional  article 
appeared  :  ''  We  confess  ourselves  unable  to  do  justice 
to  this  lady's  merit,  especially  as  it  has  been  developed 
in  her  last  few  performances.  We  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  pay  deference  to  female  as  well  as  to  male 
talent  which  has  been  sanctioned  by  the  approbation  of 
a  London  audience,  and  actresses  have  visited  this 
metropolis  from  our  sister  cities  and  we  have  been 
proud  to  admire  their  various  beauties,  but  never  have 
we  witnessed  such  a  display  of  histrionic  talent  as  in  the 
representation  of  He?'mione  by  Mrs.  Duff.  There  was 
a  spirit  of  inspiration  breathing  throughout  the  per- 
formance, passion  developed  and  sustained  the  most 
vivid  and  imposing  in  nature,  a  pathos  and  sublimity 
of  action,  voice,  and  expression  which  genius  seemed 


MRS.   DUFF.  21 

to  have  impressed  with  her  own  image  and  hallowed 
with  the  breathings  of  her  own  divinity.  There  was  the 
melting  and  the  freezing  glance,  the  quivering  lip,  the 
front  of  defiance,  the  trembling  frame,  —  all  that  could 
express  tender  or  exulting  love,  pride  or  scorn,  stifle.d 
rag;e  and  bursting  fury,  revenge,  indecision,  and  re- 
morseful grief.  The  eye  of  fancy  almost  beheld  the 
sacred  shade  of  Racine  descending  from  above  to  pro-  \ 
claim  her  for  his  own  resuscitated  Hermione.  But  it  is 
not  in  this  part  alone  that  Mrs.  Duff  has  excelled.  In 
all  the  characters  in  which  she  has  occasionally  ap- 
peared, the  same  elements  of  a  great  actress  have  been 
at  work.  Those  who  have  seen  her  in  Ophelia  will 
remember  it  throughout  life.  Certain  it  Js_jhe-has-the 
power,  and  we  have  felt  it,  to  consecrate  sorrow,  dignify 
emotion,  and  kindle  the  imagination,  as  well  as  awaken 
the  sympathies,  which  are  among  the  highest  attain- 
ments of  this  ennobling  art." 

The  Boston  pubUc  honored  her  benefit  with  an  over- 
flowing house. 

For  Mr.  Duff's  benefit  on  the  27th  of  April  Mrs. 
Duff  reappeared  as  the  heroine  of  "  Tancred  and  Sigis- 
monda,"  when  the  late  Edward  J.  Thayer  successfully 
made  his  first  appearance  on  a  public  stage  as  Tancred, 
although  in  after  life  his  chief  triumphs  were  in  light 
comedy.  Mrs.  Duff  also  recited  Colhns's  "  Ode  on  the 
Passions."  The  papers  spoke  of  her  Sigis7nonda  as 
being  well  calculated  to  display  to  advantage  her  extra- 
ordinary talents.  Mrs.  Duff  seems  to  have  first  assumed 
the  part  of  the  Unknown  Female,  (^Eugenia)  in  Dim- 
ond's  melodrama  "  The  Foundling  of  the  Forest "  on 


32 


MRS.   DUFF. 


the  I  ith  of  May.  General  audiences  then  as  now  Hked 
the  sensational  drama,  so  called,  better  than  the  clas- 
sic or  legitimate ;  and  this  performance  was  loudly 
applauded,  the  character  becoming  with  her  one  of 
long  standing  popularity. 

May  23  Mr.  Kean  commenced  a  new  engagement, 
playing  Lear  with  Mrs.  Duff  as  Cordelia ;  and,  on  the 
24th,  Jaffier  in  "Venice  Preserved"  to  Mr.  Duffs 
Pierre  and  Mrs.  Duff's  Belvidera  —  her  first  assumption 
of  the  character.  On  the  25th  Mr.  Kean  was  adver- 
tised to  appear  as  Richard  III.,  but  mortally  offended 
the  citizens  of  Boston  by  refusing  to  play  to  a  thin 
house;  an  insult  which  resulted  in  1825  in  serious 
rioting,  on  his  attem,pted  reappearance,  both  there  and 
in  New  York.  On  this  occasion  Mr.  Frederick  Brown 
was  substituted  as  Richard^  and  Mrs.  Duff  for  the  first 
time  undertook  Qiieeji  Elizabeth,  in  consequence  of 
the  recent  bereavement  and  widowhood  of  Mrs.  Powell 
to  whom  the  part  belonged.  With  a  repetition  of  Jane 
Shore  on  the  28th  Mrs.  Duff  closed  her  labors  for  the 
season,  having  won  a  position  in  advance  of  every 
actress  hitherto  known  in  Boston,  and  with  a  fame  that 
resounded  throughout  the  entire  country. 

Mr.  Duff's  connection  with  the  Boston  Theatre  as 
manager  terminated  with  the  season,  but  he  and  his 
wife  were  both  engaged  as  performers  by  his  successors 
Messrs.  Kilner  and  Clark.  In  consequence  of  pro- 
tracted illness  Mrs.  Duff's  appearance  did  not  take  place 
until  Jan.  14,  1822,  when  she  came  out  as  yane  Shore, 
and  a  fortnight  later  repeated  Sigismonda,  —  a  charac- 
ter which,  with  all  her  abihty,  she  never  succeeded  in 


MRS.   DUFF. 


33 


making  popular.  On  the  13th  of  March  she  first 
played  Therese  in  Howard  Payne's  "  Orphan  of 
Geneva,"  which  later  was  one  of  her  most  admired 
personations.  On  the  ist  of  April  she  enacted  Shake- 
speare's Rosalind,  probably  for  the  first  and  only  time ; 
on  the  loth  the  Widow  Btimore  in  Murphy's  comedy 
"The  Way  to  Keep  Him;"  and  on  the  15th  Lady 
Jane  in  the  same  author's  "  Know  Your  Own  Mind ;  " 
but  comedy  was  not  her  forte  and  she  rarely  CEtreed 
.  any  furor  therein,  her  highest  praisej3eing_t]iat^she_was 
calmly  correct  and  not  unple^sing.  Mr.  Thayer  brought 
out  for  his  benefit  an  old  drama  entitled  ''  Edgar,  or 
Caledonian  Feuds,"  in  which  Mrs.  Duff  was  cast  for 
Matilda,  but  it  does  not  appear  to  have  been  repeated. 
For  her  own  benefit  she  selected  Herinione  and  Therese, 
characters  in  which  she  was  very  popular. 

On  the  6th  of  May  Mr.  Booth,  Sr.  —  the  only 
acknowledged  representative  of  the  part  in  America 
save  Cooke  and  Kean  —  made  his  first  appearance  in 
Boston  as  Richard  III.  On  the  9th  he  played  Kifig 
Lear  with  Mrs.  Duff  as  Cordelia  ;  and  on  the  20th  for 
his  benefit,  to  a  house  of  eight  hundred  dollars,  enacted 
Hamlet  with  Mrs.  Duff  as  Ophelia,  in  which  charac- 
ter she  so  surprised  and  dehghted  him  that  he  also 
placed  her  above  all  competition  in  Europe  or  America ; 
and  some  time  after,  in  a  letter  to  George  Holland  the 
comedian  (then  in  England),  he  described  her  as  the 
greatest  actress  in  the  world,  and  added  that  his  stren- 
uous advice  alone  prevented  her  visiting  London. 

During  the  ensuing  summer  Mr.  Duff  managed  an 
establishment  in  Boston  called  the  New  City  Theatre, 
3 


34 


MRS.  DUFF. 


Washington  Gardens  ;  and  he  and  Mrs.  Duff,  with  Mrs. 
Holman  the  vocahst,  Miss  Ellen  Johnson  (afterwards 
Mrs  Hilson),  Mr.  Moreland  and  Mr.  Jacob  WoodhuU 
from  the  Park  Theatre,  New  York,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Charles  Durang,  from  Philadelphia,  were  its  principal 
attractions. 

Mrs.  Duff  here  repeated  yjiliana  in  the  ''  Honey- 
moon," and  on  the  5  th  of  August  first  personated  the 
penitent  and  suffering  Afrs.  Haller  in  the  tearful  but 
much  abused  play  of  "  The  Stranger."  Her  represen- 
tation was  an  entire  success,  and  from  all  accessible 
records  it  would  appear  to  have  been  repeated  (with 
one  exception)  more  frequently  than  any  other  of  her 
characters.  On  the  7th  for  the  first  time  she  played 
Katherine  in  "  The  Taming  of  the  Shrew,"  which 
proved  tp'be  her  most  popular  assumption  in  comedy, 
from  the  fact  probably  that  littlega^:£j:jL  on^joyousness 
is  required  in  its  embodiment.  |  She  could  exhibit  scorn, 
anger,  and  contempt  with  pov/er,  and  del.iver.-a^sarcasm 
with  the  most  cutting  poignancy,  as  well  as  assume  the 
opposite^~characteristics  of  lowly  humihty  which  the 
part  requires  J  and  she  was  frequently  called  on  for  its 
repetition. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  Howard  Payne's,  '^  Adeline  " 
was  first  given  in  Boston,  Mrs.  Duff  personating  the 
unfortunate  heroine.  The  character  however  was  never 
a  favorite  with  her,  and  when  engaged  in  New  York 
she  refused  to  perform  it.  The  season  extended  to  the 
middle  of  September ;  but  no  record  of  Mrs.  Duff's 
subsequent  performance  is  found  until  April  7,  1823, 
when  she  made  her  first  appearance  in   Philadelphia 


MRS.  DUFF. 


35 


in  six  years  at  the  Chestnut  Street  Theatre,  for  the 
benefit  of  Mr.  Booth,  in  her  renowned  character  of 
Hcrmione,  with  Mr.  Booth  as  Orestes,  Mr.  Wood  as 
Fyrrhiis,  and  Mrs.  Wood  as  Andromache,  —  the  re- 
ceipts being  four  hundred  and  ninety-two  dollars.  Mr. 
Booth's  previous  six  nights  had  run  from  one  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  to  three  hundred  dollars,  averaging  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty-nve  dollars  per  night.  Of  this 
occasion  Mr.  Wood  remarks  :  "  We  had  now  the  first 
appearance  of  Mrs.  Duff  since  her  late  very  decided 
success  in  Boston.  She  seemed  to  have  made  in  that 
city  a  discovery  of  powers  up  to  that  time  latent,  and 
now  destined  to  astonish  and  delight  future  audiences. 
Her  success  as  Herviione  fully  confirmed  the  judgment 
of  her  Boston  friends."  On  the  21st  of  the  same 
month  she  personated  Statira  for  the  benefit  of 
Alexander  Wilson  who  appeared  as  Alexander  the 
Great. 

Mr.  Duff,  having  completed  an  arrangement  with 
Messrs.  W^ood  and  Warren,  proceeded  to  Baltimore, 
where  he  and  Mrs.  Duff  commenced  their  engagement 
as  Romeo  and  jfuliet  on  the  7th  of  May,  followed  by 
the  lady's  performance  of  Belvidera,  Eugefiia,  Her7ni- 
07ie,  Therese,  Calaiithe,  Isabella,  An7ictte,  Cora,  Meg 
Mei'rilies,  and  Florinda.  Although  late  in  the  season, 
and  in  a  small  city,  their  nightly  receipts  averaged  two 
hundred  and  ten  dollars,  with  a  benefit  to  Mrs.  Duff  of 
six  hundred  and  thirty-four ;  and  this  where  Mr.  Booth 
had  lately  been  playing  to  an  average  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty-five  dollars  for  eight  nights,  and  a  benefit  of 
two  hundred  and  sixty-nine.     During  this  engagement 


36  MRS.   DUFF. 

Mrs.  Duff  first  added  Isabella,  Meg  Merrilies,  and 
Florinda  to  her  list  of  characters.  In  Isabella  she 
most  pathetically  portrayed  the  sorrows  and  madness 
of  deceived  and  suffering  innocence,  and  displayed 
powers  which  perhaps  more  than  in  any  other  character 
entided  her  to  be  called  the  first  actress  of  the  day. 
It  became  acknowledged  as  her  finest  and  most 
admired  performance  in  legitimate  tragedy,  and  has 
not  been  equalled  in  merit  by  any  subsequent  per- 
formeEJ  Flormda  also  proved  to  be  one  of  her  strong 
■^arts,  and  made  so  powerful  an  impression  on  the 
pubhc  mind  that  it  was  rare  thereafter  to  find  an  actress 
willing  to  attempt  it.  It  was  the  last  character  she 
ever  played,  and  her  name  alone  is  now  remembered 
in  connection  with  it.  Of  her  Meg  Merrilies,  though 
occasionally  called  on  to  repeat  it,  no  special  descrip- 
tion has  been  found ;  and  she  never  appears  to  have 
chosen  it  for  a  benefit,  or  admitted  it  into  her  round 
of  characters  during  any  subsequent  star  engagement. 
At  the  close  of  the  Baltimore  season  she  visited 
Washington  and  repeated  most  of  the  characters  men- 
tioned, adding  to  them,  for  the  first  time,  Elvira  to 
her  husband's  Rolla  and  handsome  Henry  Wallack's 
Fizarro.^  To  Mr.  Booth's  Feiiben  Gle?iror,  Othello^ 
and  lear,  she  enacted  Rosalie  So7?iers,  Fesdemona, 
and  Cordelia, —  the  receipts  to  which  severally  were  one 
hundred,  one  hundred  and  two,  and  one  hundred  and 
eight  dollars  !     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff's  benefit  (without 

*  Cora's  Child  at  this  period  was  represented  by  James  W. 
Wallack,  Jr.,  son  of  Henry  Wallack,  —  in  later  life  an  accom- 
plished and  highly  popular  melodramatic  actor. 


MKS.   DUFF. 


37 


Mr.  Booth)  reached  a  hundred  and  sixty-five,  though 
they  afterwards  played  to  less  than  one  hundred  dollars. 
It  seems  strange  that  managers  should  have  attempted 
a  season  in  Washington  during  the  heat  of  mid- 
summer. 

Concerning  Mrs.  Duff's  appearance  at  the  Park 
Theatre,  New  York,  a  theatrical  article  in  the  Netc 
York  Albio7i  of  August  30,  1823,  concludes  with 
the  following  remarks  :  "  We  are  most  happy  to  add 
that  Mrs.  Duff,  the  darling  of  the  Boston  boards,  has 
made  a  short  engagement  with  our  manager,  and  will 
in  September  present  herself  to  a  New  York  audi- 
ence ;  "  and  the  Eve?mig  Post  of  September  5  heralds 
her  advent  in  the  following  terms  :  "  We  perceive  by 
the  bills  that  Mrs.  Duff,  of  whom  fame  speaks  highly^ 
is  to  make  her  first  appearance  this  evening  before  a 
New  York  audience  in  the  character  of  Herijiione  in 
"The  Distrest  Mother."  The  part  of  Orestes  has  been 
assigned  to  Mr,  Booth,  and  we  have  no  doubt  the 
united  efforts  of  these  two  celebrated  performers  will 
prove  a  real  treat  to  the  lovers  of  the  drama."  Of  the 
remaining  characters  in  the  play,  Fyrrhus  was  entrusted 
to  Mr.  J.  H.  Clarke,  Py lades  to  Mr.  Woodhull,  and 
Andromache  to  the  amiable  and  admired  favorite  Ellen 
Johnson,  afterwards  Mrs.  Hilson. 

The  Albion  thus  discoursed  on  the  event :  "  Mrs. 
Duff  made  her  debut  on  our  boards  last  night  as  Her- 
mione  in  "The  Distrest  Mother."  It  was  in  this  char- 
acter she  reaped  such  a  rich  harvest  of  laurels  before 
the  Boston  audience,  and  in  which  she  made  a  power- 
ful impression  on  the  house  last  night.      Mrs.  Duff 


38  MRS.   DUFF. 

possesses  a  fine  person,  a  sweet  voice,  and  great  com- 
mand of  countenance,  and  we  are  confident  will  soon 
become  a  general  favorite." 

Her  second  appearance  at  the  Park  Theatre  was  as 
Calmithe  to  the  DamoJi  of  Mr.  Cooper  and  Pythias  of 
Mr.  E.  Simpson,  and  the  impression  she  made  on  one 
auditor  may  be  gathered  from  the  following  communica- 
tion addressed  to  the  New  York  A7fiericafi  of  the  next 
day  :-  "  I  never  before  wrote  a  word  in  praise  of  a  play- 
actor or  actress,  but  I  cannot  help  saying  of  Mrs.  Duff 
that  her  representation  of  Calanthe  last  evening  was  the 
most  spirited  and  natural  performance  I  ever  witnessed. 

s/    I  say  natural,  where  words  distil  from  the  lips  without 

.      /J  affectation  or  mouthing  and  where  '  the  action  suits  the 
/W    fiords.'      I  have   seen  women  whose  performances   I 

ir  V.oiave  tried  to  like,  buf  Mjia^JQuffjoiakes  her  way  to  the 
if  nature  rather  than  art  stimulated  her  feelings 
and  filled  her  soul." 

,  „  The  New  York  Mirror,  then  the  fashionable  literary 

yjl  and  family  paper,   in    noticing  this  performance  said 

^  that  "  the  beautiful  Calanthe  lived  and  breathed  in  the 

person  of  Mrs.  Duff.  This  lady  is  a  new  and  very 
valuable  addition  to  our  stage.  She  has  a  good  figure, 
a  very  graceful  action,  a.  soft  clear  voice,  —  and  so  hand- 
some a  face  withal  that  she  must  always  be  received 
with  pleasure  by  a  New  York  audience.  She  is  cer- 
tainly an  actress  of  the  highest  class."  Calanthe  was 
one  of  her  most  popular  parts,  and  stands  next  to  Mrs. 
Haller  in  the  number  of  its  representations.  Her  next 
characters  in  succession  were  Lady  Macbeth,  Tullia, 
Roxaita,  Imogine,  and  Mrs.  Beverley  —  all  for  the  first 


\\/    X\fi   ^^^  trie 
Y   /{K  heart  as 


MRS.   DUFF. 


^ — "-^ 


time  —  to  the  Macbeth,  Brutus,  Bertram,  and  Beverley 
of  Mr.  Cooper. 

^r\^JjTJv__Marhpth  Mr<;  Dnff  ff>r  many  vears  Stood 
peerless  anfT  plnn^  •  in  Tullia  she  was  more  than 
equal  to  the  requirements  of  the  part ;  in  Imogme  she 
was  powerful  and  exciting  beyond  all  precedent ;  and 
in  Mrs.  Beverley  all  womanljM:enderness,  love,  confi- 
dencej__sqrrow^  and  despair  were  expressed  with  so 
much  sympathy  and  pathos  that  it  took  its  place  among 
the  very  highest  creations  of  histrionic  art.  Her 
Roxana  was  pronounced  a  fine  piece  of  acting  and 
received  loud  applause,  yet  the  character  was  not  as 
pleasing  to  the  actress  as  its  rival  Statira  in  the  same 
tragedy.  Mrs.  Duff's  benefit  took  place  en  the  24th 
of  September  when  she  played  Florinda  in  "  The 
Apostate,"  with  Mr.  Duff  (his  first  appearance  in  New 
York  for  nearly  ten  years)  as  Make,  Maywood  as 
Fesca7'a,  and  E.  Simpson  as  Heineya.  Mr.  Duff  also 
appeared  as  the  Three  Sijtgles. 

In  speaking  of  this  event  the  Albmi  said  :  "  The 
benefit  we  fear  was  not  very  productive,  but  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Duff  had  the  satisfaction  to  receive  unbounded 
applause  from  all  parts  of  the  house  throughout  the 
evening.  With  much  regret  we  announce  that  Mrs. 
Duff  will  not  be  engaged  for  the  season." 

The  shortness  of  this  engagement  was  undoubtedly 
the  greatest  n>ist.ak£-x»y-TnTsfortn n e  of  Mrs.  Duff's  pro- 
fessional hfe/  She  made  a  powerful  impression  on  her 
audiences  and  every  writer  spoke  in  her  praise,  but  the 
difficulty  was  to  get  the  fashionable  world  to  see  her. 
Had  she  been  engaged  as  the  "  leading  lady  "  of  the 


40 


MRS.   DUFF. 


theatre  for  a  few  months,  if  not  for  the  entire  season,  she 

would  necessarily  have  made  herself  generally  known, 

and  for  her  to  be  known  was  to  be  admired ;  but  the 

New  York  diletta?iti  seemed  to  consider  it  a  piece  of 

presumption  for  a  stock  actress  from  the  Boston  and 

Philadelphia  theatres  to  present  herself  as  a  star  on  the 

A        Metropolitan  stage,  and  many  of  them  in  consequence 

1  yO'^/avoided  the  theatre  during  her  stay.     One  prosperous 

^y^        season  at  ihe  Park  would  have  carried  her  in  triumph 

throughout  the  land,  and  returned  her  to  its  boards 

with  its  audience  anxious  to  give  a  warm  welcome  on 

her  reappearance.  , 

It  was~'a' mistake  also  on  the  part  of  Messrs.  Price 
and  Simpson  that  they  did  not  secure  her  services ; 
for  a  year  or  two  later,  when  better  known,  her 
attractiveness  at  the  then  new  Bowery  Theatre  drew 
off  a  large  portion  of  the  usual  patronage  of  the 
Park.  Mrs.  Barnes,  their  leading  actress  in  tragedy, 
though  possessing  merit,  fell  far  short  of  Mrs.  Duff's 
preeminence. 

Resuming  their  engagement  with  Messrs.  Warren 
and  Wood,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff  next  proceeded  to  Balti- 
more where,  on  the  6th  of  October,  1823,  we  find 
Mrs,  Duff  opening  as  HeriJiione  to  the  Orestes  of 
Frederick  Brown.  She  also  played  Calanthe  to  his 
Da77ion,  Lady  Consfa?ice  to  his  Ki?ig  John,  and  Cor- 
delia to  his  Lear, — taking  her  benefit  on  the  2Cth  of  the 
month  as  Eugenia  in  "The  Foundling  of  the  Forest." 
On  the  24th  of  December  Mrs.  Duff  commenced  her 
engagement  in  Philadelphia  with  her  ever  favorite  Her- 
mione^  Mr.  Booth  being  engaged  for  Orestes. 


MRS.   DUFF.  AY 


1824. 


On  the  ist  of  January,  1824,  she  was  announced  for 
Zidieka  in  "The  Bride  of  Abydos  "  to  the  Selim  of 
Mr.  Cooper,  and  repeated  it  several  times  during  the 
season,  with  Mr.  Booth,  Mr.  H.  Wallack  and  others  in 
Mr.  Cooper's  part. 

On  the  7th  of  January  Mr.  Booth  played  Hamlet, 
Mrs.  Duff  delivered  an  original  poetical  address,  and 
Mr.  Duff  played  Walter  in  "The  Children  in  the 
Wood,"  for  the  benefit  of  the  Greeks  then  struggling 
for  their  liberty.  The  receipts  were  nine  hundred  and 
twenty-two  dollars,  and  this  was  the  first  time  that 
Mr.  Booth  received  a  real  hearty  greeting  at  the  hands 
of  the  Philadelphians,  or  played  among  them  to  an 
audience  at  all  worthy  of  his  deserts.  Later  when  he 
played  Brutus  for  his  benefit,  with  Mrs.  Duff  as  Tullia 
he  was  honored  with  a  house  of  ten  hundred  and  thirty- 
eight  dollars.  During  the  season  Mrs.  Duff  played  her 
usual  round  of  characters  with  marked  success,  includ- 
ing Meg  Merrilies  to  the  Henry  Bertra77i  of  Mr.  Pear- 
man,  the  then  favorite  English  vocalist,  and  Virginia, 
probably  for  the  first  time,  to  Cooper's  Virgifiius. 

On  the  1 2th  of  March  J.  N.  Barker's  successful 
tragic  play  of  "Superstition"  was  produced,  with  Mrs. 
Wood  as  Isabella  and  Mrs.  Duff  as  Mary.  Mr.  Wood 
says  it  was  received  with  deserved  applause  ;  and  Mr. 
Wemyss  adds  that  it  was  rarely  repeated,  in  conse- 
quence of  Mrs.  Duff's  so  far  outplaying  the  manager's> 
wife  that  he  did  not  like  her  to  appear  in  such  disad- 
vantageous contrast.  Mrs.  Duffs  portrait  in  the  char- 
acter of  Mary  was  painted  by  Neagle,  and  engraved 


42  MRS.   DUFF. 

by  Longacre  for  Lopez  &  Wemyss's  fine  edition  of 
acting  plays.  The  engraving  gives  but  a  faint  idea 
of  the  beauty  of  the  lady,  as  it  represents  her  in  the 
Mad  scene  of  the  play. 

Dimond's  "  Ethiop  "  being  soon  after  revived,  Mrs. 
Duff  made  a  pronounced  success  as  Cepha?iia.  She 
also  played  A}?ielia  in  "The  Robbers"  and  Queen 
Elizabeth  in  "  Kenilworth."  For  her  benefit  she  chose 
"Adrian  and  Orilla,"  playing  Mada77ie  Clermont  for 
the  first  time.  Out  ofjiie  line  of  legitimate  tragedy 
this  has  been  called^Irs.  Duffs  finest  personation.  It 
won  the  commendation  of  Kean,  who  conceded  it  to 
be  the  best  sustained  delineation  of  maternal  affec- 
tion he  had  ever  witnessed ;  and  in  New  York  after- 
wards it  was  more  frequently  performed  by  her  than 
any  other  character.  It  was  originally  given  at  Covent 
Garden  by  :\Irs.  George  Bartley,  who  repeated  it  during 
her  American  engagements  in  1819.  In  May  :\Irs. 
Duff,  in  conjunction  with  i\Ir.  Booth,  played  a  brilliant 
engagement  at  Baltimore,  —  on  one  occasion  her  scene 
as  Flori?ida  in  the  fourth  act  of  "The  Apostate  "  being 
honored  with  nine  distinct  rounds  of  applause. 

In  the  summer  of  1824  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff  were 
at  the  Chatham  Garden  Theatre,  New  York,  under 
Barriere's  management,  opening  there  on  the  12th 
of  August  in  "Venice  Preserved"  and  "Three  and 
the  Deuce,"  with  Mrs.  Duff  as  Belvidera,  Henry  Wal- 
lack  as  Pierre,  and  Islx.  Dufi"  as  Jaffier  and  the  Three 
Siiigles.  From  a  long  article  on  their  performance  in 
the  E7nerald,  a  weekly  paper  of  the  time,  a  few  pas- 
sages are  selected  :  "  If  we  spoke  of  ISIrs.  Duff  as  we 
feel,  we  should  risk  the  imputation  of  flattery  or  enthu- 


MRS.   DUFF. 


43 


siasm.  With  a  beauty  the  most  intellectual,  sh^ix^m- 
bines  gesture  and  elocution  of  the  highest  order.  We 
saw  her  in  grieLandin  joy,  in  sorrow  and  in  gladness  ; 
and  were  charmed  with  the  heavenly  expression  of  a 
countenance  at  one  time  beaming  through  the  clouds, 
and  at  another  time  giving  increased  splendor  to  the 
light  which  occasionally  enlivened  the  hopes  of  Belvi- 
dera.  .  .  .  We  shall  never  as  long  as  our  attachment 
for  the  drama  exists,  forget  the  power  with  which  Mrs. 
Duff  acquitted  herself." 

Mrs.  Duff  appeared  here  as  Mrs.  Haller,  Jane 
Shore,  Mrs.  Beverley,  Madame  Clermont,  and  jfiiliet, — 
her  principal  support  coming  from  her  husband  in  the 
leading  male  characters. 

The  company  of  the  establishment  at  this  time  was 
excellent,  including  on  its  roll  the  names  of  Henry 
Wallack,  Thomas  Kilner,  George  Barrett,  Walter 
Hughes,  John  A.  Stone,  Harry  Moreland,  Alexander 
Simpson,  Spiller,  Charles  Durang,  Williamson,  Somer- 
ville,  John  Jefferson,  Mrs.  Entwistle,  Mrs.  Henry  (after- 
wards Jvlrs.  G.  Barrett),  Mrs.  Waring  (afterwards  Mrs. 
Blake),  Mrs.  H.  Wallack,  Mrs.  Walstein,  Mrs.  C. 
Durang,  Mrs.  Kilner,  Mrs.  Allen,  and  others. 

In  complimenting  Mrs.  Duff's  performances  the 
Albion  again  expresses  the  wish  that  she  might  remain 
permanently  in  New  York,  as  "  she  is  a  powerful  acqui- 
sition to  any  theatre." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff  next  fulfilled  an  engagement  at 
Boston,  where  they  opened  on  the  1 7th  of  September  in 
"  The  Gamester  "  and  "  Three  and  the  Deuce."  Mrs. 
Duffs  characters  here  were  Mrs.  Beverley,  Mrs.  Haller, 


44  ^^S.   DUFF. 

Ellen  Enfield,  Eugenia,  He?'7nione  (twice),  Theresa, 
Madame  Clermont,  Florinda,  Roxana,  Mrs.  Greville 
in  *' Secrets  Worth  Knowing,"  and  Countess  Adela  in 
"The  Warlock  of  the  Glen."  From  the  celebrated 
Henry  J.  Finn  she  had  support  in  several  prominent 
tragic  and  melodramatic  characters.  In  Boston  Mr. 
Finn  played  tragedy  and  comedy  with  almost  equal 
success,  but  in  New  York  he  is  remembered  solely 
as  among  the  best  of  actors  in  broad  and  eccentric 
comedy.  It  is  noticeable  that  during  this  season  Miss 
Jane  Placide  (afterwards  the  tragic  favorite  of  New 
Orleans)  played  such  vastly  dissimilar  characters  as 
Mrs.  Mo7'timer  to  Duff's  Gossamer  in  "  Laugh  When 
You  Can,"  and  Sally  Down7'ight  to  his  Rostrum  in 
"Secrets  Worth  Knowing." 

Towards  the  close  of  the  engagement  the  Boston 
Gazette  called  attention  to  Mrs.  Duff's  approaching 
benefit  as  follows  :  — 

"  Mrs.  Duff.  This  interesting  and  excellent  actress 
has  made  her  way  to  the  high  standing  she  now  holds, 
without  clamor,  excitement,  or  party  influence.  She 
was  always  thought  to  possess  first-rate  powers,  but  these 
not  properly  schooled ;  and  until  the  time  Kean  came 
here,  her  reputation  had  nothing  extraordinary  in  it. 
She  was  beautiful  and  lovely  before,  but  at  that  time 
she  burst  upon  the  pubhc  in  the  most  astonishing  man- 
ner in  the  character  oiHermione;  after  which  every  char- 
acter she  acted  underwent  a  change  for  the  better,  and 
since  then  her  powers  have  been  constantly  develop- 
ing. In  the  character  of  Madame  Clerftiont  last  Friday 
evening  she  produced  a  wonderful    effect   upon   the 


MRS.   DUFF. 


45 


house,  her  talents  and  improvement  were  universally 
acknowledged,  and  all  seemed  to  be  grieved  that  her 
great  powers  had  not  been  discovered  years  ago. 

"We  trust  her  benefit  may  be  fully  attended,  for,  added 
to  her  professional  merit,  she  has  a  charm  which  never 
fails  to  please  with  our  fair  countrywomen,  —  the  charm 
of  a  virtuous  life.  She  is  known  to  be  the  kind,  care- 
ful, and  pious  mother  of  a  numerous  family,  and  it  is 
said  by  those  who  are  best  acquainted  with  her,  that 
if  the  public  awaken  her  professional  ambition,  the_ 
endearmentsjif-her-femily  have  all  her  heart." 

liaTbeen  surmised  that  arwdetyi-ior.her  family  was 
the  chief  cause  of  Mrs.  Duff's  awakened  energy  and  de- 
sire to  excel  in  her  profession,  which  in  earlier  life  she 
had  felt  unnecessary  and  had  been  indifferent  to.  In 
the  beginning  of  their  career  in  America  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Duff  were  both  very  attractive,  she  from  her  personal 
loveliness,  and  her  husband  from  his  excellent  acting. 
Their  salaries  were  fair  and  their  benefits  most  liberal, 
but  Mr.  Duffs  management  at  Boston  had  been  profit- 
less. Kean,  the  Wallacks,  Booth,  Maywood,  and  other 
lights  had  dimmed  the  brilliancy  of  his  achievements 
as  an  actor.  He  did  not  advance  in  excellence,  and 
from  repeated  attacks  of  gout  he  was  frequently  on  the 
sick  list  for  weeks  in  succession.  Mrs.  Duff  felt  that 
on  her  alone  would  soon  depend  the  entire  support  of 
her  family,  a  fear  that  in  after  years  was  unfortunately 
realized.  Stimulated  perhaps  by  Kean's  magnetic  in- 
fluence, she  studied  closely ;  and,  throwing  her  whole 
soul  into  the  characters  she  undertook  and  into  which 
for  the  time  she  seemed  transfused,  she  made  those 


46  ^^^^S.   DUFF. 

brilliant  efforts  which  resulted  in  complete  success  and 
forced  the  acknowledgment  of  her  superiority  to  all 
who  had  preceded  her. 

From  October  20  to  December  i,  1824,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Duff  were  in  Baltimore,  and  their  services  were 
in  requisition  on  every  play  night,  —  the  lady  appear- 
ing eight  times  as  Zulieka  to  houses  averaging  three 
hundred  and. fifty  dollars,  four  times  as  the  Coimtess 
Adela  in  "The  Warlock  of  the  Glen,"  and  in  various 
other  characters,  —  taking  for  her  benefit  Isabella  and 
Katherine  the  Shrew,  which  drew  a  house  of  four 
hundred  and  eight  dollars,  the  net  amount  to  Mrs. 
Duff  being  two  hundred  and  forty-seven.  Previous  to 
the  appearance  of  the  Duffs  this  season  Conway'  the 
tall  tragedian  had  played  a  star  engagement  to  houses 
averaging  only  two  hundred  and  forty  dollars ;  but  for 
his  benefit  he  procured  the  assistance  of  j\Ir.  Booth 
and  Mr.  and  I\Irs.  Duff  in  "The  Apostate,"  and  the 
receipts  for  this  splendid  combination  reached  the  ex- 
traordinary sum  of  seven  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
dollars.  Booth  played  Fescara ;  Conway,  Hemeya ; 
Duff,  Make ;  and  Mrs.  Duff,  of  course,  Florinda. 

There  is  something  singular  in  the  history  of  Booth's 
connection  with  the  part  of  Fescara.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  written  by  Shell  expressly  for  him ;  but  on  the 
production  of  the  play  at  Covent  Garden,  in  181 7, 
after  rehearsing  it  four  times  he  refused  to  perform  it 
because,  as  it  is  said,  he  thought  the  characters  of 
Hemeya  and  Malec  (assigned  to  Charles  Kemble  and 
Young)  were  superior;  or,  as  one  of  his  biographers 
suggests,  because   he  wished  to  play  He7neya  to  the 


AIRS.    DUFF.  47 

Florifida  of  the  beautiful  Miss  O'Neill.  Whatever  the 
cause  of  his  renunciation,  it  gave  Macready  an  oppor- 
tunity to  make  a  powerful  impression  on  the  London 
audience  in  an  original  part ;  and  in  after  years,  when 
Booth  concluded  to  add  it  to  his  list  of  characters,  he 
made  it  on  the  American  stage  exclusively  his  own. 
Geneste,  the  learned  theatrical  historian,  however,  con- 
siders Make  the  best  male  character  in  the  play. 

1825. 

The  Philadelphia  season  commenced  late  in  1824 
and  extended  to  the  end  of  April,  1825.  For  more 
than  seven  weeks  during  its  progress  Mrs.  Duff  was 
detained  from  her  duties  by  injuries  received  while 
performing  Zulicka  to  Cooper's  Seliin  in  "  The  Bride 
of  Abydos  "  on  the  evening  of  January  4.  In  the  last 
act  of  the  piece  the  walls  of  the  Seraglio,  in  which 
Zulieka  is  confined,  are  supposed  to  be  beaten  down 
by  an  outside  assault ;  and,  by  some  mismanagement 
of  the  blocks  of  which  they  were  composed,  Mrs.  Duff 


wasl  precipitateff  from  a  gallery  a  distance  of  ten  feet 
to  tli^~3tage7 producing  severe  contusions  on  her  head 
and  face,  and  causing  such  anxiety  in  the  audience 
that  they  refused  to  leave  the  house  till  they  were 
assured  by  Mr.  Wood  ^-  and  afterwards  by  Dr.  Gibson, 
a  surgeon  in  attendance  —  that  no  apprehension  of 
fatal  consequences  need  be  entertained  and  that  no 
bone  had  been  broken.  On  her  reappearance,  March 
2,  she  received  an  enthusiastic  welcome  from  a  house 
that  seemed  desirous  of  expressing  its  congratulations 
for  her  recovery  as  well  as  its  delight  on  her  return 


48  MRS.   DUFF. 

to  the  stage.  During  the  season  she  enacted  Queen 
Elizabeth,  Cordelia,  and  Portia  to  Bootli's  Richard, 
Lear,  and  Cassius ;  Vif-ginia  to  Cooper's  Virginius ; 
Ehnra  and  Calaiithe  to  Pelby's  Rolla  and  Damon; 
and  J-idiet,  Lady  Randolph,  and  Agatha  Frihe7g  to 
Watkins  Burroughs's  Romeo,  Young  Norval,  and  Fred- 
erick. For  Mr.  Jefferson's  benefit  she  for  the  first 
time  assumed  the  character  of  Lady  Melmoth  in  the 
comedy  of  ''  Folly  as  it  Flies,"  to  a  house  of  twelve 
hundred  and  fifty-six  dollars.  Agatha  Friherg  in 
"Lovers'  Vows"  was  a  new  character  to  her;  and 
Olympia  was  specially  written  for  her  by  Booth  in  his 
drama  of  "  Ugolino/'  first  produced  for  Henry  Wal- 
lack's  benefit  on  the  20th  of  April.  For  her  own 
benefit  she  chose  Florinda  and  Kathe?'ine,  —  Henry 
Wallack  playing  Pescara ;  Pelby,  LLemeya  ;  and  Duff, 
Malec  and  L^etruchio.  The  receipts  were  seven  hun- 
dred and  forty-sev^en  dollars. 

Mrs.  Duff  commenced  her  spring  engagement  at 
Baltimore  May  6,  1825,  as  Lsabella.  She  repeated 
Zulicka  several  times,  and  played  Madame  Clermont 
for  Mr.  Warren's  benefit,  to  one  thousand  and  eighty 
dollars.  The  season  ended  in  June,  recommencing  in 
October  with  Mrs.  Duff  as  Lady  Randolph  to  the 
Douglas  of  a  young  aspirant  named  Fielding.  On  the 
24th  of  the  month  Knowles's  tragic  play  of  "  William 
Tell "  was  first  produced  in  Baltimore,  and  Mrs.  Duff 
^vas  cast  for  Emma,  TclVs  wife.  She  made  it,  as  far 
as  the  author  would  permit,  effective,  but  it  was  not  a 
particularly  strong  part.  Wood  personated  Tell;  Duff, 
Michael ;  Jefferson,  Braun ;  and  Mrs.  Wood,   Albert. 


BJ2CJr:=3*^ 


S  J«-? 


^'5- 


^H-?^i 


1  55      ? 

-^sli^?  losses: 

2.510      -naftrrgn^ 


3*  o 
9    3 


"3 


:? 


"•  °  z.'~  Z 

f    1^ 


jBHHI 

»^ 

fe? 

3"?  -ifi 

1^ 

&5 

.^ 

■         =" 

t^l 

5 

< 

"     •     ■     • 

J3i 

1 ! 

'     •     ' 

1  Si0^  1 

Ji-I 

HesA 

•     ■          ■     .     ' 

rf  Tragedy  caUe. 

ST 

),  Dublin  and  N 

F????F 

F^ 

bS 

PELBY. 

DUFF 

WALLACK. 

BIGNALL. 

J.  JKFFERS 

WIIKATLY 

i  5 

1^ 

i  fif 

3    ♦-► 


MRS.  DUFF.  .g 

For  her  benefit  she  selected  Eugenia  in  ''  The  Found- 
ling of  the  Forest,"  for  which  she  received  the  net 
amount  of  two  hundred  and  six  dollars. 

She  opened  again  in  Philadelphia  on  the  23d  of 
November  as  Lady  Randolph,  and  during  the  season 
repeated  Emma  six  times  and  Elvira  four  times. 
She  played  as  before  with  Cooper,  Conway,  and  Bur- 
roughs, and  for  the  first  time  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hamblin.  She  was  also  the  Cordelia  and  Tiillia  to 
Mr.  Kean's  Lear  and  Brutus.  Mr.  Kean's  engage- 
ment of  ten  nights  in  Philadelphia  at  this  period  aver- 
aged more  than  eight  hundred  dollars  per  night.  He 
opened  as  Richard  to  eleven  hundred  and  sixty- five, 
and  repeated  it  for  his  benefit  to  twelve  hundred  and 
fifty-four  dollars,  —  on  both  of  which  occasions  Mrs,  Duff 
personated  Queen  Elizabeth.  For  her  own  benefit  she 
played  Mrs.  Beverley  and  Annette  to  only  four  hundred 
and  seventy-seven  dollars,  and  for  her  husband's  benefit, 
Alexina  in  "The  Exile"  to  six  hundred  and  sixteen 
dollars. 

1826. 

The  season  was  remarkable  for  Kean's  finalj^erform- 
ances  in  Philadelphia  and  for  hiscontinued  commen^ 
dation  of  Mrs.  Duff's  j:o-operation ;  as  well  as  for  the 
triumphant  reappearance  in  his  native  city  of  Edwin 
Forrest,  who  for  the  benefit  of  Mr.  Charles  Porter  on 
the  1 6th  of  May,  1826,  enacted  jfaffier  to  Mrs.  Duff's 
Bclvidera  to  a  house  of  four  hundred  and  one  dollars. 
His  success  was  of  so  pronounced  a  character  that  he 
was  allowed  two  nights  more  though  at  the  very  close 
of  the  season,  on  one  of  which  Mrs.  Duff  personated 
4 


50 


MRS.   DUFF. 


Elvira  to  his  RoUa  to  four  hundred  and  eighty-three 
dollars.  On  the  23d  of  April  she  had  performed  the 
same  character  to  Mr.  Duff's  Rolla  to  five  hundred 
and  twenty-four  dollars. 

A  critic  of  unusual  pretensions  and  more  than  com- 
mon ability  gave,  over  the  signature  of  '^ Jacques"  in 
the  United  States  Gazette  during  the  season  just  closed, 
a  series  of  articles  on  the  performances  at  the  theatre, 
which  attracted  general  attention  and  were  considered 
of  sufficient  value  to  be  repubhshed  in  book  form.     He 
was  not  sparing  in  the  use  of  the  lash,  and  Mr.  Duff  in 
many  parts  felt  its  appUcation  with  unmerciful  force  and 
stinging  severity.      Still,  merit  was  allowed  him,  and 
censure  perhaps  was  more  freely  administered  for  his 
lack  of  effort  than  for  his  lack  of  abihty.     His  Rolla 
was  said  to  be  in  many  particulars  superior  to  that  of 
any  rival.      His  Dashwould,  Mr.  Oakley,  and  Duke 
Aranza  were  represented  with  so  much  ease,  grace, 
and  spirit  that  in  them  his  faults  were  not  worth  notic- 
ing;   and  were   ail  his   characters  as  well  acted,  the 
theatre  would  have  a  treasure  in  him. 
/    Mrs.  Duff  was  admired  for  her  beauty  of  face  and 
/jform,  and  applauded  for  her  tenderness  and  pathos,  as 
!  ^vell  as  for  her  skill  in  portra)ing  pride,  anger,  scorn, 
ii  Remorse,  anguish,  and  despair,  but  was  censured  for 
transitions  said  to  be  too  abrupt,  and  for  a  lack  otthe 
i  happy  medium  between  the  two  extjemes.>    A  few  of 
I  ;he  writer's   remarks  are  here  repeated  :  "  As  Emma 
I  in  'William  Tell'  Mrs.  Duff  looked  and  acted  like  a 
Imother.     This  lady  appears  to  improve  nightly.     With 
the   finest  figure   and  the  most  noble  and  expressive^. 


MRS.   DUFF. 


51 


countenance  of  any  actress  we  have  ever  seen,  she 
needs  only  time  and  attention  to  make  her  unrivalled  in 
the  highest  walks  of  tragedy."  Her  Angela  in  "  The 
Castle  Spectre  "  was  not  approved  until  her  meeting  with 
the  Ghost,  when  "  her  attitude,  the  horror  ^expressed  on 
her  features,  and  her  manner  of  shrinking  from  its  touch 
was  one  of  the  most  striking  exhibitions  ever  witnessed." 
"  Mrs.  Duffs  Calanfke  was  tender  and  touching."  In 
*'  Brutus  "  "  Mrs.  Duff  particularly  merited  attention 
as  Tiillia.  Her  situation  at  intervals  is  truly  tingic. 
When  the  dialogue  assumes  the  loftiness  of  rage,  dis- 
dain, and  madness  she  bursts  forth  with  tremendous 
energy.  Her  attitudes  and  manner  were  extremely 
dignified  and  natural.  In  the  scene  in  Rhea's  Temple 
she  carried  tragic  horror  to  its  highest  pitch.  Her 
paleness,  the  wildness  of  her  eyes,  the  lividness  of  her 
lips,  the  disorder  of  her  hair,  and  the  shrieking  accents 
that  seemed  to  burst  from  her  very  soul,  —  were  tremen- 
dously forcible,  terribly  faithful.  The  dying  scene  that 
follows  at  the  sight  of  her  father's  statue,  with  the  wild 
cry  that  accompanied  it,  was  awful  in  the  extreme. 
We  have  witnessed  similar  scenes,  but  never,  never 
any  one  equal  to  this  night's  !  It  was  one^of  those  ^  .  / 
sing^ular  and  powerful^exllibitiQiis-tbatieave  an  impres — 
sion  on  the  mind  never  to  be  effaced." 

In  Mrs.  Duff's  Lady  Randolph  the  critic  found  so 
many  beauties  and  so  many  imperfections  that  he 
could  scarcely  tell  which  predominated.  But  her  ques- 
tioning ejaculation,  "Was  he  alive?"  to  Old  Norval 
when  he  tells  of  the  babe  he  discovered  in  the  water, 
''  was  electric.     It  was  the  voice  of  nature,  and  its  force 


52 


MRS.   DUFF. 


was  felt  by  every  hearer."     It  will  be  remembered  that 
this  was  Mrs.  Barry's  great  point  in  the  play. 

In  "  Romeo  and  Juliet "  "  Mrs.  Duff  exceeded  our 
expectations.  We  never  saw  the  jfidiet  of  our  imagi- 
nation, and  do  not  expect  we  ever  shall.  More 
than  once  in  the  Garden  scene  we  were  ready  to 
exclaim  :  — 

'  How  silver  sweet  sound  lovers'  tongues  by  night, 
Like  softest  music  to  attending  ears ! ' 

The  very  soul  of  the  fair  Capulet  seemed  in  her  utter- 
ance of 

*  My  bounty  is  as  boundless  as  the  sea, 
My  love  as  deep ;  the  more  I  give  to  thee 
The  more  I  have,  for  both  are  infinite.' 

It  was  as  true  to  nature  as  is  the  passage  (but  if  possible 
more  so)  where  Romeo  says  he  would  he  were  her  bird, 

and  she  replies  :  — 

'  Sweet,  so  would  I, — 
Yet  I  should  kill  thee  with  much  cherishing.' 

The  7idivete  she  displayed  in  coaxing  the  old  Nuise 
was  admirable ;  w^e  were  not  aware  that  she  could 
assume  so  much  playfulness.  The  heroic  spirit  of  the 
luckless  maiden  was  developed  with  fidelity  in  the 
scene  with  Friar  Laiire7ice  ;  but  when  about  to  swallow 
the  draught  she  astonished  us  by  those  emanations 
of  genius  she  sometimes  exhibits  —  as  powerful  as  they 
are  original  —  when  she  exclaimed 

*  Or  if  I  wake  shall  I  not  be  distraught. 
Environed  with  all  these  hideous  fears, 
And  madly  play  with  my  forefathers'  joints .? 
And  pluck  the  mangled  Tybalt  from  his  shroud  1 


MRS.   DUFF. 


53 


And  in  this  rage  with  some  great  kinsman's  bone, 
As  with  a  club,  dash  out  my  desperate  brains  ? 
O  look  !  methinks  I  see  my  cousin's  ghost 
Seeking  out  Romeo  ;  —  stay,  Tybalt,  stay !  ' 

Whoever  has  seen  Mrs.  Duff  when  roused  to  frenzy, 
rage,  or  despair,  may  conceive  her  manner  in  this  part, 
but  we  cannot  describe  it  properly ;  no  description 
can  reach  reality.  One  would  have  supposed  the 
ghost  of  Tybalt  was  really  before  her ;  her  look,  the 
wildness  of  her  appearance,  and  her  arms  thrown  out 
as  if  to  interpose  a  barrier  between  Ro7neo  and  his 
purpose,  while  she  drank  the  potent  liquid,  —  all  im- 
pressed the  spectator  with  the  idea  she  had  drawn  of 
his  figure  in  the  thin  air." 

Of  ''The  Lady  of  the  Lake  "  our  critic  says  :  "  We 
never  saw  Mrs.  Duff  look  so  beautiful,  so  exquisitely 
sweet,  as  in  Ellen  Douglas.  She  appeared  and  acted 
as  the  poet's  Lady  of  the  Lake."  In  "  The  Gamester  " 
"  Mr.  Duff  as  the  infatuated  Beverley  was  unusually 
commendable  ;  we  have  rarely  seen  him  display  so 
much  ability.  Mrs.  Duff  as  his  patient,  fond,  and 
devoted  wife  was  equally  excellent.  At  times  she  dis- 
played an  exquisite  variety  of  warmth  and  feeling  and 
pathos  that  wholly  subdued  the  audience.  This  lady 
has  the  admirable  faculty  of  entwining  herself  with  our 
warmest  sympathies ;  she  appeals  to  our  hearts  rather 
than  our  judgment."  That  is,  though  not  always  con- 
forming to  established  rules  of  art,  Mrs.  Duff's  perform- 
ances touched  the  feelings  with  a  power  so  irresistible, 
that  nature  always  acknowledged  their  truth  by  the 
unrestrained  offering  of  sobs  and  tears.     Other  writers 


^4  ^-^J^S.   DUFF. 

joined  in  the  chorus  of  praise  accorded  to  Mrs.  Duff, 
and  one  who  used  the  signature  of  "  Marcus  "  con- 
gratulated himself  on  having  discerned  in  her  earliest 
and  crudest  performance  of  Juliet  prophetic  indica- 
tions of  that  consummate  genius  which  had  now  raised 
her  beyond  all  tragic  competition  on  the  American 
stage.  He  discussed  the  merits  of  her  various  imper- 
sonations, and  was  particularly  charmed  with  her  full, 
mellow  voice,  her  distinct,  unhurried  articulation,  and 
the~'impressive  and  appropriate"  eloquence  with  which 
she  delivered  the  words  of  her  author  in  happy  con- 
sonance with  the  various  phases  of  suffering  which  she 
so  ably  simulated.  In  conclusion  he  called' upon  the 
Quaker  City  to  adopt  her  as  its  own,  as  no  actress  in 
the  country  could  fill  the  void  her  loss  would  create. 
She  had  reached  an  eminence  that  could  do  justice  to 
the  finest  language  of  Shakespeare  or  Racine ;  and 
though  this  was  a  high  encomium,  the  merit  that  had 
earned  it  would  have  the  magnanimity  to  bear  it.  It 
would  neither  produce  a  change  in  conduct  nor  lead 
to  future  exorbitant  demands  from  the  managers  of 
the  theatre. 

Notwithstanding  these  high  commendations  and 
earnest  wishes  of  their  admirers,  ^Ir.  and  Mrs.  Duff's 
contract  with  Messrs.  Warren  and  Wood  was  not 
renewed,  but  they  concluded  an  engagement  with 
Henry  Wallack  of  the  Chatham  Garden  Theatre,  New 
York,  where  they  commenced  on  the  23d  of  May 
with  "The  Foundling  of  the  Forest"  and  "Three  and 
the  Deuce,"  Mrs.  Duff  as  Eugenia  and  Mr.  Duff  as 
the  Three  Si?igles.     On  the  5th  of  June  "  The  Game- 


MRS.   DUFF. 


55 


ster  "  was  performed,  —  Beverley  by  Mr.  Conway,  his 
first  appearance  in  that  theatre ;  Stukely,  Mr.  Scott 
(afterwards  famous  as  Lo7ig  Tom  Coffin) ;  Lewson, 
Mr.  H.  Wallack  ;  Mrs.  Beverley,  Mrs.  Duff;  and  Char- 
lotte, Mrs.  H.  Wallack.  Mr.  Conway's  Beverley  was 
warmly  praised,  but  the  Mirror  said  :  "  Fine  as  was 
the  acting  of  Conway  we  will  venture  to  say  that  a 
greater  than  Conway  was  there,  for  Mrs.  Duff  was 
unquestionably  the  presiding  spirit  of  the  hour.r-'THe 
opinion  lately  expressed  by  a  contemporary,  thai  this 
lady  is  superior  to  any  actress  on  the.  American  or 
British  stage,  we  think  has  every  probabiHty  of  being 
correct,  and  we  are  more  and  more  inclined  to  believe 
in  it  every  time  we  witness  her  performance. j'  She  next 
pTayed  Belvidera,  Juliet,  Elvira ^  zxA  -Mr^.  Halle r  to 
Conway's  jfaffier,  Romeo,  Rolla,  and  the  Stranger. 

On  the  15th  of  June  was  produced,  for  the  first  time 
on  any  stage,  George  P.  Morris's  drama  entitled  "  Brier 
Cliff,  a  Tale  of  the  Revolution,"  taken  from  a  popular 
novel  then  lately  pubhshed  under  the  name  of  "  Whig 
and  Tory."  It  was  very  enthusiastically  received  and 
several  times  repeated.  Its  principal  characters  are 
appended. 

Onalaska Mr.  Scott. 

Major  Waldron Mr,  Durang. 

Alfred  Leslie Mr.  Duff. 

Eugene  Grant Mr.  Stevenson. 

Captain -Musgrave Mr.  Thayer. 

Doctor  Meredith Mr.  Roberts, 

John  McArthur Mr.  Anderson. 

Miss  Polly  Jansen Mrs.  Walstein. 

Mary  Jansen Mrs.  Waring. 

Crazy  Bet Mrs.  Duff. 


MRS.   DUFF. 


Mrs.  Duff  was  very  impressive  in  one  or  two  scenes, 
but  the  part  was  quite  unworthy  of  her  powers. 

^The  Foundling  of  the  Forest"  was  soon  after 
repeated  with  as  fine  a  cast  as  it  has  ever  been  hon- 
ored with,  —  Mr.  Conway  as  Coimf  de  Valmoiit  and 
Mrs.  Duff  as  Eugenia  being  supported  by  Messrs. 
Scott,  Thayer,  Duff,  Roberts,  Miss  Riddle,  Mrs.  War- 
ing, and  Mrs.  Walstein. 

"Macbeth"  was  also  given  three  times  with  great 
applause,  —  Conway  as  Macbeth,  Duff  as  Macduff,  and 
Mrs.  Duff  as  Lady  Macbeth.  The  Albion  announced 
that  Mr.  and  INIrs.  Duff  continued  in  high  favor  at  the 
Chatham,  and  that  Mrs.  Duff  was  at  length  in  a  fair 
way  to  make  her  great  talents  known  to  the  people  of 
New  York,  —  adding  that  it  had  been  a  matter  of  regret 
to  those  who  knew  her  that  she  never  before  had  had 
an  opportunity  of  doing  so. 

Mr.  Conway,  for  his  benefit  June  26,  gave  "Julius 
Caesar,"  with  the  following  superior  cast :  Julius  Ccesar, 
Mr.  Scott ;  Marc  Antony,  Mr.  H.  Wallack ;  Brutus, 
Mr.  Conway;  Cassius,  Mr.  Duff;  Portia,  Mrs.  Duff. 
This  was  followed  on  the  28th  by  his  last  appearance 
in  "The  Gamester,"  for  the  benefit  of  Mrs.  Duff,  who 
of  course  played  M?'s.  Beverley,  a  performance  sup- 
plemented by  Mr.  Duffs  representation  of  Looney 
McTwolter  in  "  The  Review." 

The  theatre  closed  for  the  season  on  the  17th  of 
July;  and  during  her  engagement  of  less  than  two 
months  Mrs.  Duff  had  personated  eighteen  different 
characters,  the  longest  nm  of  any  one  play  being  five 
nights.      Audiences  then  demanded  constant   variety, 


>«4^       AIRS.   DUFF.  57 

and  immense^  was  the  labor.Jbr,,  fieribrmers.  How 
different  from  the  requirements  of  to-da}-,  when  two 
or  three  characters  will  fill  up  an  a(  iic>>'s  time  during 
an  entire  season. 

Mr.  and  ^hi.  Duff  were  not  pleased  with  Mr.  Henry 
Wallack.  as  a  manager,  and  a  serious  disagreement 
occurring  between  them,  the  Duffs  formed  an  engage- 
ment with  Mr.  C.  W.  Sandford  (afterwards  eminent  as 
a  lawyer  and  major-general  of  militia),  manager  of  the 
then  lately  established  Lafayette  Theatre ;  and  on  the 
2oth  of  July,  1826,  Mrs.  Duff  made  her  first  appear- 
ance there  as  Juliet  to  the  Mercutio  of  Mr.  Thayer 
and  the  Romeo  of  Mr.  Burroughs.  Her  position  in 
New  York  was  now  well  established,  and  frequent  calls 
were  made  for  her  appearance  in  some  particular  part ; 
but  it  was  a  midsummer  season,  and  she  was  unable 
to  exert  herself  so  unceasingly  as  during  her  Chatham 
engagement.  She  here  played  for  the  first  time  in 
New  York  her  highly  pathetic  part  of  Jeanie  Deans 
in  "  The  Heart  of  Mid  Lothian,"  which  she  repeated 
several  times.  Her  Lady  Randolph,  to  the  Young 
Norval  of  Mr.  BuiTOughs,  was  pronounced  the  finest 
known  since  the  retirement  of  Mrs.  Siddons. 

For  this  engagement  of  ten  weeks  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Duff  received  joindy  a  salary  of  fifty-five  dollars  per 
week,  and  the  net  proceeds  of  a  benefit  amounting 
to  two  hundred  and  thirty-four  dollars,  —  in  all,  seven 
hundred  and  eighty-four  dollars.  How  different  the 
emoluments  of  the  profession  at  the  present  time,  when 
artists  can  demand  and  receive  for  their  services  five 
hundred  or  a  thousand  dollars  per  night  1 


f 


jlA^ 


58  ^^^S.   DUFF. 

The  salary  list  of  the  Lafayette  Theatre,  now  in 
possession  of  T.  J.  McKee,  Esq.  of  New  York,  shows 
that  such  popular  performers  as  W.  R.  Blake,  E.  J. 
Thayer,  and  Mrs.  Pelby  received  only  twenty-five  dol- 
lars per  week;  Roberts,  the  favorite  low  comedian, 
thirty  dollars ;  and  Mrs.  Walstein,  the  excellent  "  old 
woman,"  the  miserable  pittance  of  fifteen  dollars. 
May  wood  as  a  star  had  thirty-five  dollars ;  Arthur 
Keene  and  Mrs.  Burke,  vocalists,  jointly  forty  dol- 
lars ;  and  Burroughs,  as  actor  and  stage  manager,  fifty 
dollars. 

Mrs.  Duff  soon  after  fulfilled  an  engagement  at 
Baltimore,  where  her  only  new  character  was  Bella- 
mira  in  Shell's  tragedy  of  that  name,  which  never 
attained  popularity. 

In  announcing  his  programme  for  the  fall  season 
at  Chatham  Garden,  Mr.  Henry  Wallack  included  the 
names  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff  in  the  list  of  his  company. 
This  brought  forth  a  card  from  ]\Ir.  Duff  in  the  Even- 
ing Post  of  September  20,  1826,  as  follows  :  — 

"  Perceiving  in  the  papers  of  the  day  our  names 
associated  with  the  Chatham  Garden  company,  I  deem 
it  proper  to  state  that  neither  Mrs.  Duff  nor  myself 
has  any  engagement  with  Mr.  Wallack. 

(signed)         John  Duff." 

A  new  theatre  having  been  erected  this  season  in 
New  York  by  a  company  of  gentlemen,  its  manage- 
ment was  entrusted  to  Mr.  Charles  Gilfert,  an  eminent 
musician  and  an  experienced  manager  at  Charleston, 
Albany,  and  elsewhere.     He  has  been  described  as  a 


MRS.   DUFF, 


59 


man  of  excellent  theatrical  taste  and  of  recklessly 
extravagant  habits,  whose  monetary  troubles  and  ulti- 
mate death  were  the  results  of  a  copious  lack  of  finan- 
cial judgment  or  of  simple  arithmetical  calculation. 
His  character  may  perhaps  be  fully  understood  from 
the  following  anecdote  told  of  him  in  the  days  when 
he  was  the  witty  and  amusing  companion  of  many 
prominent  men  about  town.  The  narrator  is  supposed 
to  be  a  French  resident  of  Albany  at  a  date  anterior 
to  railroad  travelling  :  "  Monsieur  Charles  Gilfert,  he 
come  to  Albany.  He  have  ruin  me  in  my  business, 
mes  affaires.  He  borrow  de  V argent  from  me  to  large 
amount.  He  go  to  New  York  and  promise  to  send 
him  right  away,  ver  quick.  But  voyez-vous,  when  I 
wTite  to  him  he  return  me  von  response  inconvenante, 
von  impudent  answer,  and  say  I  may  go  to  the  devil  for 
look  for  him.  I  leave  Albany  instantly  to  have  the 
grand  personal  satisfaction  for  the  affront  he  put  upon 
me.  I  walk  straight  away  from  the  steamboat.  I 
procure  von  large  stick  and  rush  out  to  meet  him. 
By-and-by,  bientot,  I  see  him  von  large  way  off,  ver 
remotely.  I  button  up  my  coat  with  strong  determina- 
tion, and  hold  my  stick  fierce  in  my  hand  to  break  his 
neck  several  times.  Ven  he  come  near,  my  indignation 
rise.  He  put  out  his  hand ;  I  reject  him.  He  smile 
and  look  over  his  spectacles  at  me.  I  say,  you  von 
scoundrel,  coqiiin  infdme!  He  smile  de  more  and 
make  un  grand  effort  to  pacify  my  grand  indignation  ; 
and  before  he  leave  me,  he  borrow  twenty  dollar  from 
me  once  more,  by  gar  !  A  ver  pleasant  man  vas  Mon- 
sieur Charles  Gilfert !  " 


5o  ^^JRS.   DUFF. 

Poor  Gilfert !  He  at  length  found  quiet  and  repose 
in  the  cemetery  known  as  St.  John's,  in  New  York, 
where  on  his  tombstone  is  inscribed  :  "  Cernit  Omnia 
Deus  Vindex"  (God  the  avenger  sees  everything). 

Under  the  banner  of  this  noted  leader  at  the  Bowery 
Theatre,  New  York  (or  the  New  York  Theatre,  Bow- 
ery, as  it  was  originally  called),  Mr.  Duff  now  enlisted. 
He  had  lost  little  of  his  real  merit,  but  his  attractive- 
ness had  greatly  waned.  He  was  to  play  in  light  com- 
edy subordinate  to  George  Barrett,  who  had  choice 
of  characters  in  that  line,  but  was  otherwise  considered 
the  leading  man  of  the  company,  —  a  position  to  which 
he  was  justly  entitled  by  his  high  reputation,  his  long 
experience,  and  his  genuine  talent. 

Mr.  Duff  inaugurated  his  engagement  on  the  open- 
ing night  of  the  season,  October  23,  1826,  by  appear- 
ing as  Han-y  Dornton  in  "The  Road  to  Ruin"  to 
Mr.  Barrett's  Goldfinch.  The  company  he  headed 
v/as  a  fine  one,  comprising  many  of  the  first  artists  of 
the  day.  ]Mrs.  Gilfert  was  the  best  of  "  high  comedy 
ladies  "  then  known,  and  Mrs.  G.  Barrett  and  Mrs. 
Charles  Young  were  accounted  the  two  most  beautiful 
women  on  the  stage,  the  former  especially  being  a 
most  excellent  and  versatile  actress.  The  talent  of 
Mrs.  Hughes  was  unquestionable  at  this  period,  when 
no  one  could  have  anticipated  her  future  prominence 
as  Lady  Sowerhy  Creamly  or  Mrs.  Toodks,  while  the 
versatility  and  compliant  disposition  of  Mrs.  H.  A. 
Williams  (afterwards  Mrs.  MayAvood)  rendered  her 
one  of  the  most  useful  members  of  the  troupe.  Its  list 
of  gentlemen  included  George  Barrett,  Charles  Young, 


i»BlU]FF  AS  IHIA^tt,JS<r^' 


MI^S.   DUFF.  6 1 

*•  Irish  "  Faulkner  (who  was  also  an  excellent  "  old 
man  "),  John  A.  Stone  (the  author  of  "  Metamora"), 
Bernard  Jr.,  Cornelius  Logan  (father  of  three  celebrated 
daughters,  Eliza,  Olive,  and  Celia),  James  Roberts,  and 
George  Hyatt,  —  the  last  two  unsurpassed  in  eccentric 
and  low  comedy.  These,  with  a  long  array  of  sec- 
ondary actors  and  a  brilliant  constellation  of  stars, 
rendered  the  cast  of  pieces  at  the  Bowery  Theatre 
unusually  strong  and  satisfactory. 

The  accession  of  Mrs.  Duff  to  this  fine  corps  was  thus 
announced  in  the  Evenmg  Post  of  November  23  :  — 

"  This  lady  makes  her  first  appearance  this  evening 
as  ya?ie  Shore  at  the  Bowery  Theatre.  It  is  one  of 
those  characters  in  which  Miss  O'Neill  shone  with 
peculiar  lustre.  Mrs.  Duff  approaches  if  not  fully 
equals  that  lady  in  this  and  such  characters  as  Mrs. 
Beverley,  Mrs.  Haller,  etc.  The  Baltimore  papers 
speak  in  unqualified  praise  of  the  latter.  Why  did 
she  not  appear  in  it  last  night  (instead  of  Mrs.  Gilfert) 
to  Conway's  Stranger?'' 

Mrs.  Duff's  ^afie  Shore  was  enthusiastically  received. 
It  was  pronounced  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  efforts 
of  human  genius,  and  one  critic  almost  imagined  that 
Mrs.  Siddons  herself  stood  before  him.  Her  support 
in  the  tragedy  was  from  her  husband  as  Giosfer,  Barrett 
as  Hastings,  Young  as  Diwiont,  and  Mrs.  Hughes  as 
Alicia. 

On  the  24th  she  appeared  in  "The  Gamester" 
with  Mr.  Conway,  a  performance  which  was  thus  re- 
viewed in  the  Post :  "  Beverley  beyond  all  comparison 
is    Conway's   best    performance.      Mrs.    Duff's    Mrs. 


52  ^'^^S.   DUFF. 

Beverley  is  a  wonderful  effort,  and  was  so  acknowledged 
by  the  house,  for  hardly  an  eye  denied  the  tribute  of 
a  tear.  There  is  not  a  beauty  in  the  dialogue  of  this 
most  affecting  tragedy  that  was  not  distinctly  marked  by 
this  accomplished  actress.  Her  jewels  were  destined 
to  adorn  a  wanton,  but  when  Stukely  proffered  love 
his  baseness  was  revealed,  and  with  one  withering  look 
she  blasted  all  the  expectations  of  the  villain.  How 
her  perfect  love  and  unsulUed  honor  sustained  her  to 
the  last,  how  her  noble  and  virtuous  nature  would  still 
dwell  on  the  happiness  that  awaited  them  in  days  to 
come,  no  pen  can  describe.  Her  husband  expired ; 
she  shrieked  and  dropped  upon  his  lifeless  corpse  ! 
For  a  moment  all  was  still ;  but  the  next  this  admir- 
able actress  received  as  proud  a  tribute  as  was  ever 
given  to  dramatic  excellence.  The  impression  made 
by  this  representation  exceeded  anything  we  ever 
witnessed." 

Mrs.  Duff's  third  character  was  Lady  Macbeth  to' 
Conway's  Thane;  her  fourth,  Lady  Coiistance  to  his 
King  yoh7i ;  her  fifth,  Belvidera  to  Barrett's  Pierre 
and  Duffs  jfaffier. 

Of  the  latter  performance  the  following  criticism 
appeared :  — 

"  Otway's  celebrated  tragedy  of  '  Venice  Preserved  ' 
was  represented  at  the  Bowery  Theatre  on  Friday 
night.  The  sudden  indisposition  of  Mr.  Conway  threw 
the  part  of  Jaffier  upon  Mr.  Duff,  and  he  was  abund- 
antly rewarded  by  frequent  and  well  merited  applause. 
This  gentleman  possesses  rare  quahfications  for  the 
higher  efforts  of  the  drama,  and  we  are  really  curious 


MRS.  DUFF.  '    63 

to  know  what  it  is  that  obstructs  his  advancement.  Is 
it  indeed  because  he  is  not  a  wandering  star?  Mr. 
Barrett's  line   of  acting  has  nothing  to   do  with  the 

character  of  J^ierre Mrs.  Duff's  representation 

of  Belvidera  was  a  chaste  picture  of  conflicting  pas- 
sion. Filial  piety  swayed  the  bolder  claims  of  the 
husband,  but  the  cruel  sentence  which  deprived  her 
child  of  a  father,  robbed  its  mother  of  her  reason  ;  and 
never  sure  was  madness  more  touchingly  or  naturally 
portrayed.  This  lady  has  the  rare  merit  of  not  hunting 
after  passages  for  a  momentary  gratification.  The  course 
of  the  story  is  traced  in  the  quiet  progress  of  events  up 
to  the  very  distraction  of  her  soul  under  unmerited 
wTongs,  which  at  last  ceases  to  conflict  with  her  in- 
superable difficulties." 

For  his  benefit  Mr.  Conway  appeared  as  Cardinal 
Wolsey  in  Shakespeare's  "  King  Henry  VIII."  to  the 
Henry  of  Mr.  Young  and  the  Queen  Katherine  of  Mrs. 
Duff,  —  the  first  and  only  time  her  name  has  been 
found  in  connection  with  that  character.  Those  who  (^ 
remember  the  plaintive  tenderness  of  her  tones,  the 
majestic  dignity  of  her  demeanor,  and  the  forceful. 
_grace  of  her  action,  need  no  assurance  of  the  excellence 
of  her  delineation. 

December  18,  1826,  is  a  red-letter  day  in  the  calen- 
dar of  the  Bowery,  for  it  marks  the  conjunction  of  Mrs. 
Duff  with  _Mr..Fjorrest  and  Mr.  Hamb'iin,  for  the  first 
time  on  its  stage,  in  the  tragedy  of  "  Venice  Presened," 
—  Hamblin  as  Pierre  and  Forrest  as  Jaffier  affording 
the  lady's  Belvidera  unwonted  excellence  of  support. 

December  26  Mrs.  Duff  played    Volmnnia  to  Mr. 


64 


MRS.  DUFF. 


Hamblin's  Coriolanusf  one  of  his  finest  and  best  re- 
membered parts.  In  after  years  he  was  the  Bowery's 
most  successful  manager,  and  the  idol  of  its  not  aiways 
highly  cultivated  audience.  He  took  his  benefit  on 
the  27  th,  when  he  announced,  for  the  first  time  in  New 
York,  jNIr.  Forrest  in  the  character  of  King  Lear,  —  of 
all  his  Shakspearian  personations,  except  Othello,  the 
most  admired,  the  greatest,  and  the  best.  Hamblin 
himself  played  Edgar ;  Duff,  Edmund;  Young,  Kent; 
Hyatt,  Oswald ;  and  Mrs.  Duff,  Cordelia. 

1827. 

For  his  owoi  benefit  on  the  3d  of  January,  1827,  Mr. 
Forrest  attempted  Richard  III.,  Mrs.  Duff  enacting 
Queefi  Elizabeth.  However  well  received  at  the  time, 
it  was  afterwards  considered  one  of  his  least  successful 
efforts. 

On  the  9th  ]\Irs.  Duff  created  an  immense  sensation 
as  Madame  Clerjnont  in  '^  Adrian  and  Orilla,"  the 
other  characters  being  thus  distributed  :  — 

Adrian Mr.  Bernard. 

Prince  Altenberg Mr.  Duff. 

Count  Rosenheim.     ......  Mr.  Faulkner. 

Michael Mr.  Roberts. 

Lothair Mrs.  Young. 

Orilla Mrs.  G.  Barrett. 

Minna Mrs.  Brazier. 

Githa Mrs.  Williams. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  New  York  Fire  Department 
Fund,  January    24,   with    other   entertainments,   Mrs. 


MRS.    DUFF. 


65 


Duff  recited  an  original  poetical  address  written  by    ^/L  / 
Woodworth.     She  soon  after  played  Elvira  and   Cal-  \  v 
a?it/ie  to  the  Rolla  and  Damon  of  Mr.  Forrest.  v^^  . 

Mrs.  Duff  was  now  at  the  prnnHest  perioH  of  her 
car.eer^.at.the  very  acme  of  her  fame  and  zenith  of  her 
reputation,  admired  and  applauded  on  all  sides,  widi.- 
out  rivalry  in  her  profession,  and  yet  so  amiable  and 
unassuming  in  her  manners  that  William  Govvans,  a 
late  well  known  and  respected  bookseller  and  collector 
of  New  York,  who  in  early  life  had  occupied  a  subor- 
dinate position  on  the  Bowery  boards,  has  been  heard 
to  express  and  reiterate  the  opinion  that  she  was  the 
most  perfect  and  indeed  the  only  true  lady  he  had  ever 
met  on  the  stage  of  the  theatre.  Her  Madame  CIen7ioJit 
continued  to  be  received  with  great  favor,  as  may  be' 
seen  from  the  following  article  in  the  Albmi  of  Feb- 
ruary 10:  — 

"  We  have  no  space  to  express  in  sufficient  detail 
our  surprise  and  admiration  at  the  Madame  Clermont 
of  Mrs.  Duff.  The  play  is  excessively  trashy  but  her 
acting  is  peculiarly  fine.  Since  the  time  of  Miss 
O'Neill  we  have  seen  no  performer  so  successful  in  the 
dehneation  of  maternal  affection.  It  would  be  judi- 
cious in  Mrs.  Duff  to  persuade  her  husband  to  make 
himself  master  of  his  author.  His  inaccuracy  and  for- 
getfulness  on  Tuesday  were  shameful." 

How  far  this  censure  may  have  been  deserved  it  is 
now  impossible  to  tell,  but  it  no  doubt  was  in  some 
way  resented  by  Mr.  Duff,  for  from  this  date  forward 
there  was  a  change  in  the  tone  of  the  Alhio?i's  articles 
on  Mrs.  Duff  also,  whom  hitherto  it  had  placed  beyond 
5 


\66J  MRS.  DUFF. 

all  competition.  It  did  not  cease  to  praise  her,  al- 
though in  a  somewhat  qualified  manner. 

Mrs.  Duff  was  now  invited  to  Philadelphia  by  Mr. 
Booth,  and  on  the  occasion  of  his  benefit  at  the  Chest- 
nut Street  Theatre,  February  17,  appeared  for  that 
night  only  as  Belvidera  to  his  jfajjier  and  the  Pierre 
of  Henry  Wallack. 

Two  events  of  great  interest  to  the  dramatic  public 
of  New  York  now  occurred  in  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas,  through  the  suits  of  Henry  Wallack  against 
Charles  Gilfert  and  John  Duff  for  loss  of  ser\dces  and 
breach  of  contract,  the  reports  of  which  from  the 
papers  of  the  day  are  herewith  appended  :  — 

NEW  YORK  COURT  OF  COMMON  PLEAS. 

Judge  Irving,  presiding. 

March  i,  1827. 

WALLACK   vs.    GILFERT. 

For  damages  incurred  by  the  seduction  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Duff  from  the  employ  of  plaintiff,  manager  of  the 
Chatham  Theatre,  by  the  defendant,  manager  of  the 
New  York  Theatre,  Bowery. 

Henry  Dennis,  box-keeper  of  the  Chatham  Theatre, 
in  his  testimony  says  he  has  seen  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff; 
can  form  no  estimate  of  their  value ;  Mrs.  Duff  is  an 
attractive  actress  and  would  produce  emoluments  to 
any  house  ;  Mr.  Duff  is  also  an  attractive  actor ;  the 
V  Jady^howevcr  is  the  chief^aittafifJiGi^  Such  an  actor 
and  actress  would  give  strength  to  a  company,  which 


MRS.   DUFF.  ^j 

would  sustain  great  loss  by  their  being  taken  away. 
Mrs.  Duff  drew  good  houses  whenever  she  played. 

Richard  Hatfield,  Master  in  Chancery,  knows  Mrs. 
Duff  as  an  actress :  would  consider  her  the  main 
strength  of  any  company,  and  one  of  the  first  actresses 
in  the  country.  Knows  Mr.  Duff.  He  is  a  very  good 
actor.  ^JI5^Il!ljIi5_tl]f  prinripil  rh^irtvv  Would  con- 
sider the  profits  of  a  house  enhanced  by  Mr.  Conway 
and  Mrs.  Duff  performing  together. 

Mr.  Smith  was  called  as  a  witness,  when  Mr.  W.  M. 
Price  (for  the  defence)  remarked  that  it  was  unneces- 
sary to  introduce  any  more  evidence  of  the  value  of 
Mrs.  Duff,  as  he  was  willing  to  admit  what  he  really 
thought  her  to  be,  the  7nost  distinguished  actress  in  this 
or  any  other  country.  He  would  also  admit  Mr.  Duff 
to  be  a  very  respectable  actor. 

Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Duff,  sworn :  The  engagement 
between  Mr.  Duff  and  myself  with  ]\Ir.  Wallack  com- 
menced on  the  23d  of  May  last. 

The  letters  by  which  the  engagement  was  made  were 
then  read. 

The  plaintiff  here  rested  his  case. 

Mr.  Price  then  opened  for  defendant.  Having  con- 
cluded, he  recalled  Mrs.  Duff. 

Mrs.  Duff.  —  Previous  to  the  ist  of  July  Mr.  Duff 
had  no  conversation  with  Mr.  Gilfert  about  an  engage- 
ment. 

Question.  —  Had  you  ever  communicated  to  any 
person  that  you  were  disengaged  ? 

Mrs.  Duff.  —  Mr.  Eustaphieve,  the  Russian  Consul, 
called  on  me,  and  in  the  course  of  conversation  asked 


68  ^^^S-   DUFF. 

where  I  would  perform  the  next  season.     I  told  him 
I  had  no  engagement  for  the  next  season. 

The  theatre  closed  on  the  15th  of  July  for  the  pur- 
pose of  repairing  the  house.  I  received  no  salary  from 
the  15  th  of  July  to  the  9th  of  October.  The  last 
week's  salary  for  my  performance  was  not  paid  me. 
I  went  twice  for  it  but  did  not  see  the  manager.  I 
had  a  conversation  with  Mr.  Wallack  about  signing 
certain  articles.  It  took  place  on  the  4th  of  July. 
He  demanded  my  signature  to  the  articles.  I  refused. 
He  then  shook  them  in  my  face  and  said  I  must  and 
should  sign  them.  I  again  repeated  that  I  would  not. 
He  then  said  his  company  was  governed  by  those 
articles  and  that  I  was  of  no  more  consequence  than 
any  other  member  of  his  company,  and  whether  I 
signed  them  or  not  I  should  be  governed  by  them. 
It  was  after  this  that  Mr.  Eustaphieve  called  on  me. 
When  I  said  I  had  no  engagement,  he  replied  that 
he  understood  I  was  engaged  to  Mr.  Wallack.  I  told 
him  I  considered  that  as  broken,  inasmuch  as  Mr. 
Wallack  had  treated  me  with  much  rudeness,  and  had 
not  paid  me  my  last  week's  salary.  He  asked  per- 
mission of  me  to  say  I  was  disengaged,  which  I  gTanted 
him.  There  was  no  proviso  made  in  the  agreement 
between  my  husband  and  Mr.  Wallack  by  which  we 
were  to  be  deprived  of  salary  during  the  tearing-do\Mi 
of  the  theatre. 

Cross-ex.\mined  by  Mr.  Anthon. 
With  regard  to  the  last  week's  salary,  I  had  understood 
that  the  funds  of  the  theatre  were  at  the  time  locked 


MRS.  DUFF. 


69 


Up  in  the  Tradesmen's  Bank  by  an  injunction.  About 
two  months  after  it  was  due,  a  person  whom  I  never 
saw  before  came  and  tendered  me  the  salary.  It  was 
refused.  It  was  not  again  tendered  me.  During  the 
rebuilding  of  the  Chatham  Theatre  Mr.  Duff  and  myself 
were  engaged  at  the  Lafayette  Theatre. 

Question.  —  Another  ground  of  complaint,  as  alleged 
by  you,  was  the  cast  of  characters.  You  refer,  do  you 
not,  to  Adeline  / 

Mrs.  Duff.  —  I  do. 

Question.  —  Was  not  that  a  favorite  character  of 
yours  ? 

Mrs.  Duff.  —  I  have  no  favorite  characters^ 

Question.  —  Was  it  not  a  favorite  with  the  public? 

Mrs.  Duff.  —  They  have  never  seen  me  in  it. 

Question.  —  Have  you  never  performed  it  ? 

Mrs.  Duff.  —  I  have  in  Philadelphia,  not  in  New 
York. 

Question.  —  Was  it  not  a  favorite  there  ? 

Mrs.  Duff.  —  I  believe  not ;  the  play  did  not  suit. 

Question.  —  Was  it  repeated  ? 

Mrs.  Duff.  —  It  was,  twice. 

Question.  —  You  were  not  constrained  to  perform  it 
here? 

Mrs.  Duff.  —  I  was  not. 

The  contract  by  Mr.  Duff  with  Mr.  Gilfert,  relative 
to  the  engagement  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff,  was  here 
stated  by  the  witness,  but  we  do  not  think  proper  to 
put  it  before  the  public.  It  was  dated  the  iSth  of 
September,  1826. 


70 


MRS.   DUFF. 


On  resumption  of  the  evidence  Mrs.  Duff  testified 
that  she  did  not  know  that  Mr.  Wallack  had  sued  Mr. 
Sandford,  proprietor  of  the  Lafayette  Theatre,  for  her 
performance  there.  Had  no  reason  to,  and  did  not, 
expect  a  vacation  in  the  Chatham  Theatre  at  that 
time.  Considered  her  engagement  as  for  ten  succes- 
sive months.  It  is  not  usual  for  a  summer  theatre  to 
have  a  vacation  in  summer.  Is  not  acquainted  with 
any  act  or  deed  of  Mr.  Gilfert  intended  to  draw  us 
away  from  the  Chatham  Theatre. 

Mr.  John  Duff  in  his  testimony  says  that  he  recol- 
lects the  conversation  with  Mr.  Eustaphieve.  Met 
Gilfert  accidentally  in  the  coffee-room  of  the  Lafayette 
Theatre.  He  asked  me  if  I  was  engaged  to  Wallack. 
I  told  him,  no.  He  said  he  did  not  wish  to  go  to  war 
with  any  other  managers  or  interfere  with  them,  and 
would  like  to  know  if  he  might  write  to  me  asking  if  I 
was  engaged.  I  replied,  he  might.  Such  letter  how- 
ever was  never  received.  I  mentioned  it  to  Mrs.  Duff. 
She  replied  she  was  under  some  obligation  to  Mr. 
Sandford,  and  considered  herself  bound  to  give  him 
the  preference.  An  offer  was  then  made  to  Mr.  Sand- 
ford, which  he  declined  on  the  ground  that  he  could 
not  obtain  adequate  support  for  Mrs.  Duff.  I  then 
considered  myself  open  to  a  negotiation  with  Mr. 
Gilfert. 

Jonathan  D.  Stevenson,  present  manager  of  the 
Chatham,  and  formerly  connected  with  Mr.  Wallack, 
says  :  In  course  of  conversation  Mrs.  Duff  said  Mr. 
Wallack  certainly  could  not  expect  them  to  remain 
idle  during  the  vacation.     I  remarked,  "We  do  not 


MRS.   DUFF. 


71 


lose  you,  madam?"  She  said,  "Oh,  no!  we  return 
after  the  vacation." 

James  Roberts,  comedian,  testified  that  he  was 
engaged  to  Mr.  Wallack  at  the  rate  of  thirty  dollars  per 
week,  but  broke  his  engagement  in  consequence  of 
dislike  and  disagreement  with  him ;  that  he  paid  the 
penalty,  one  thousand  dollars,  for  breaking  his  engage- 
ment ;  that  he  now  received  forty  dollars  per  week, 
and  fifteen  dollars  per  week  for  his  wife,  at  the  Bowery 
Theatre;  that  Mr.  Gilfert  loaned  him  one  thousand 
dollars  to  pay  Mr.  Wallack,  which  amount  he  had  re- 
turned, excepting  two  hundred  dollars.  He  did  not 
think  the  Chatham  a  desirable  place  for  representing 
tragedy,  in  which  Mrs.  Duff  excelled,  but  that  it  was 
more  appropriately  a  theatre  for  melodrama. 

The  case  was  summed  up  by  Messrs.  W.  M.  Price 
and  David  Graham  for  the  defendant  and  by  Mr. 
John  Anthon  for  the  plaintiff,  and  after  a  short  charge 
by  Judge  Irving  the  jury  returned  a  verdict  for  the 
plaintiff,  with  six  cents  damages  and  six  cents  costs  ! 

The  second  suit  came  off  on  the  following  day  and 
is  thus  reported. 

NEW   YORK  COURT  OF  COMMON   PLEAS, 
Judge  Irving,  presiding. 

March  2,  1827. 
HENRY  WALLACK  vs.  JOHN   DUFF. 

Mr.  John  Anthon  opened  the  plaintiffs  case.  He 
stated   that   the    contract   on   which   this   action   was 


n 


MRS.  DUFF. 


based  had  been  concluded  between  the  parties  in 
the  course  of  an  epistolary  correspondence  about  the 
24th  of  March,  1826,  by  which  the  plaintiff  became 
entided  to  the  services  of  the  defendant  and  his  wife 
as  dramatic  performers  at  the  Chatham  Theatre  for  ten 
months  at  the  joint  salary  of  fifty-five  dollars  per  week  ; 
that,  in  pursuance  of  the  contract  so  entered  into  tlie 
defendant  and  his  wife  came  to  the  city  of  New  York 
from  Philadelphia  about  the  21st  of  May  last,  and 
entered  upon  the  performance  of  their  engagement  at 
the  plaintiff's  theatre  on  the  23d ;  that  they  continued 
to  be  so  employed  until  about  the  15  th  of  July  follow- 
ing, when  the  theatre  was  closed  for  the  purpose  of 
making  extensive  repairs,  and  continued  closed  until 
the  9th  of  October  following;  that  notwithstanding 
the  closing  of  the  theatre  the  defendant's  contract 
continued  in  full  force,  but  that,  instead  of  returning  to 
resume  his  engagement,  he  and  his  wife  had  accepted 
a  more  profitable  engagement  from  Mr.  Gilfert  of  the 
New  York  Theatre,  Bowery,  where  they  were  at  present 
employed  :  that  in  consequence  of  this  breach  of  the 
defendant's  agreement  the  plaintiff  had  sustained  great 
damage  which  he  now  called  upon  the  jury  to  re- 
imburse. 

The  correspondence  between  the  parties  was  then 
read.  It  consisted  of  three  letters,  the  last  dated 
March  24,  1826. 

The  engagement  was  that  the  defendant  and  his 
wife  should  perform  for  ten  months,  which  are  certain, 
without  reduction  of  salary,  at  the  joint  salary  of  fifty- 
five  dollars  per  week,  —  Mrs.  Duff  to  have  the  entire 


MRS.   DUFF. 


73 


range  of  tragedy  and  their  benefits  to  amount  to  from 
seven  to  eight  hundred  dollars,  after  deducting  one 
hundred  and  eighty  dollars,  the  expenses  of  the 
house. 

In  Jonathan  D.  Stevenson's  examination  he  says  the 
Chatham  Theatre  is  not  a  summer  theatre,  although  it 
opened  as  such  in  1824;  that  before  its  enlargement 
it  would  not  have  contained  more  than  seven  hundred 
dollars  in  all ;  that  the  expenses  were  about  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  dollars,  and  that  a  benefit  could  not 
yield  more  than  five  hundred  dollars;  that  it  would 
now  hold  one  thousand  dollars ;  that  Mrs.  Duff  is  a 
very  attractive  actress,  but  that  she  has  sometimes 
played  to  thin  houses. 

]Slr.  Graham  in  opening  for  the  defendant  stated 
that  the  breach  of  contract  in  this  cause  was  on  the 
part  of  the  plaintiff  himself,  in  shutting  up  the  theatre 
and  stopping  the  salary  of  the  defendant  and  his  wife. 
According  to  the  plaintiff's  own  evidence  the  contract 
had  been  violated  by  him.  He  was  bound  to  obtain 
the  consent  of  the  defendant.  This  he  had  not  done, 
but  had  cast  him  and  his  family  upon  the  world  for 
three  months  without  employment  and  without  salary. 
In  addition  he  had  refused  to  pay  their  last  week's 
salary,  and  insisted  in  the  most  arbitrary  manner  upon 
Mrs.  Duff  signing  certain  articles  creating  an  essentially 
different  contract  both  as  to  time  and  services  to  be 
rendered,  and  to  be  enforced  by  severe  penalties. 
He  had  insisted  on  Mrs.  Duff's  performing  in  melo- 
drama, contrary  to  the  terms  of  contract ;  and  after 
closing  his  theatre,  so  far  from  finding  defendant  and 


74 


MRS.   DUFF. 


wife  employment  or  continuing  their  salary,  he  had 
declared  that  they  should  not  perform  at  the  Lafayette 
Theatre,  and  that  any  person  who  did  so  should  not 
perform  at  his  theatre  again. 

John  Barnes  —  comedian,  and  husband  of  Mrs. 
Barnes,  the  tragic  actress  —  says  in  his  testimony  that 
Mrs.  Duff  is  a  great  treasure  to  any  theatre,  but  con- 
siders the  Chatham  more  suited  to  melodrama  than 
tragedy,  the  former  being  more  attractive  there. 

Charles  Gilfert  says  :  Mrs.  Duff  is  an  eminent  and 
attractive  actress.  Her  principal  value  to  a  manager 
would  consist  in  her  appearing  seldom,  and  in  sending 
her  at  times  to  Philadelphia  or  Boston.  She  has  played 
at  the  Bowery  Theatre  to  as  low  a  sum  as  sixty-one 
dollars  and  a  half.  Five  hundred  dollars  is  the  largest 
house  she  has  played  to,  and  then  she  had  the  assist- 
ance of  Mr,  Conway.  Every  manager  keeps  books 
showing  the  receipts  of  the  house  every  night.  Pre- 
sumes the  plaintiff  keeps  such  books.  Has  been  a 
manager  since  1817.  Would  consider  the  closing  of 
the  Chatham  Theatre  at  the  time  and  under  the  cir- 
cumstances a  violation  of  agreement  if  the  salaries  of 
the  performers  were  not  continued. 

James  Roberts,  comedian,  testified  as  to  the  melo- 
dramatic character  of  the  Chatham  Theatre,  and  the 
great  success  of  "The  Lady  of  the  Lake  "  and  "  Brian 
Boroihme  ;  "  that  Mrs.  Duff  when  first  there  drew  good 
houses,  but  "  Brian  Boroihme,"  drew  better  ones. 
Mrs.  Duff  had  a  benefit  at  the  Chatham  while  he 
played  there.  Does  not  remember  Mr.  Duff  having 
one.  The  other  actors  were  paid  while  the  injunction 
remained  on  the  Tradesmen's  Bank. 


MRS.   DUFF. 


75 


Nicholas  Dean,  Clerk  of  the  City  and  County,  says 
Mrs.  Duff  is  a  most  distinguished  actress,  but  has  seen 
her  play  to  very  thin  houses  at  the  Bowery  Theatre. 

William  R.  Blake  produced  the  blank  articles  of 
agreement  used  at  the  Chatham  Theatre.  They  pro- 
vide for  a  vacation  of  two  months,  in  january  and 
February. 

After  the  summing  up  by  the  counsel  and  the  charge 
by  Judge  Irving,  the  jury  returned,  after  an  hour's 
absence,  with  a  verdict  for  defendant. 

Mrs.  DugVbe-npfit  gnirkly  fnllnwpxl  the  termination 
of  these, trials,  tlie  result  of  which  gave  general. satisfac- 
tion. It  occurred  on  the  5th  of  jMarch  and  was  most 
liberally  patronized.  SS\.  the  city  papers  called  atten- 
tion to  her  bill,  which  consisted  of  "  Adrian  and  Orilla  " 
and  a  new  farce  called  "  Returned  Killed,"  in  which 
Mr.  Duff  assumed  the  character  of  Milligan. 

The  Evenmg  Post  of  that  date  said  :  "  Mr.  Kean 
has  pronounced  her  Madame  Clermont,  which  she  has 
chosen  for  her  benefit,  the  most  finished  performance 
he  ever  witnessed.  We  are  confident  there  will  be  a 
rush  to  see  it." 

The  Enquirer  added :  "  Mrs.  Duff  has  chosen 
*  Adrian  and  Orilla,'  in  which  her  talents  have  made 
so  deep  an  impression.  Madame  Clermo?it  is  her  best 
performance.  Mrs.  Duff  has  recently  escaped  from 
the  perils  of  a  lawsuit.  In  the  first  trial  she  gave  her 
testimony  in" thie^Tearest  and  most  unassuming  manner 
and,  though  subjected  to  a  severe  cross-examination, 
nothing  could  exceed  the  consistency  and  propriety 


-6  ^^^S-   DUFF. 

of  her  answers.  In  the  second  trial  the  jury  pronounced 
her  conduct  irreproachable.  Will  not  the  public  concur 
in  that  opinion?  " 

And  the  Albion,  a  few  days  after,  in  noticing  the 
occurrence,  stated  that  "  Mrs.  Duff  had  her  benefit  on 
Monday.  The  play  was  '  Adrian  and  Orilla,'  in  which 
she  sustains  with  vast  ability  the  part  of  Aladame  Cler- 
mo7it.  The  circumstances  of  the  recent  trials  in  rela- 
tion to  this  lady's  engagement  at  the  Bowery  Theatre 
created  a  strong  excitement  in  her  favor,  and  drew  a 
numerous  audience." 

On  the  7th  of  March,  for  the  first  time,  she  played 
her  since  very  celebrated  character  of  Addgitha,  for 
the  benefit  of  Mrs.  Blake.  Mr.  Charles  Young  sup- 
ported her  as  Guiscard,  Mr.  Blake  (then  young  and 
handsome)  as  Lothair,  Mr.  G.  Barrett  (severely  out 
of  place)  as  Michael  Ducas,  and  Mrs.  G.  Barrett  as 
Ivima. 

Arthur  Keene,  the  vocalist,  took  a  benefit  here  on 
the  1 2th  of  March,  appearing  as  Francis  Osbaldistone  in 
**  Rob  Roy,"  —  Henry  Wallack  making  his  first  appear- 
ance at  the  Bowery  as  the  Highland  Chieftain,  Mr. 
Roberts  enacting  his  favorite  part  of  the  Baillie,  Mrs. 
Blake  giving  the  music  of  Diana  Verfion,  and  Mrs.  Duff 
seeming  to  be  the  actual  Helen  Macgregor  herself. 

Many  comments  were  made  on  this  unexpected 
conjunction  of  talent  so  soon  after  the  late  suits  at  law, 
and  one  from  the  Albion  is  here  introduced  :  "  On 
Monday  by  particular  desire  Mr.  Keene  had  a  benefit, 
and  the  house  was  greatly  thronged.  The  opera  was 
'  Rob  Roy,'  in  which  Mr.  Henry  Wallack  played  Rob, 


MRS.   DUFF. 


77 


Mr.  Wallack,  as  every  one  knows,  the  manager  of 
the  Chatham,  had  only  last  week  brought  an  action 
against  Mr.  Gilfert  of  the  Bowery  for  seducing  away 
Mrs.  Duff;  yet  within  a  few  days  he  volunteers  to 
act  upoil  Mr.  Gilfert's  stage  as  Mrs.  Duff's  dramatic  hus- 
band.V  We  do  not  understand  these  things  and  perhaps 
they  are  not  worth  understanding.  Wallack  is  a  goocj 
liob  Roy  but  considerably  inferior  to  Maywood.  The 
Ifele?i  of  Mrs.  Duff  is  a  first-rate  performance,  for- 
cible in  the  declamatory  and  affecting  in  the  pathetic 
parts." 

In  speaking  of  the  performance  the  Mirror  said  :  — 
"We  have  but  a  word  more;  it  is  in  relation  to 
Mrs.  Duff.  The  part  of  Helen  Macgregor  is  not  suited 
to  her  transcendent  powers,  but  ' ;///  tetigit  quod  non 
ornavit '  was  never  better  applied  than  in  relation  to 
that  admirable  performer.  Her  burst  of  feeling  when 
the  lament  comes  wailing  through  the  rocks  of  the 
Highlands  and  she  learns  what  toils  have  been  woven 
around  her  husband ;  her  high  and  haughty  charge  to 
Francis  Osbaldistone ;  her  agonized  parental  emotions 
as  she  strains  her  children  to  her  breast ;  and  then  the 
thrilling  exclamation  which  escapes  her  when  the  name 
of  Rob  is  echoed  through  the  mountains,  and  safe  and 
unharmed  he  folds  her  in  his  arms,  —  were  all  conceived 
and  executed  in  —  but  we  need  not  seek  for  epithets  ; 
it  was  nature  itself ! 

"  Many  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  frequent  witness- 
ing of  theatrical  representations  hardens  instead  of  hu- 
manizes our  hearts.  To  such  we  would  say  that  we  sat 
in  the  same  box  with  an  actor  whose  province  it  is  to 


7^ 


MRS.   DUFF. 


smooth  the  \mnkles  on  the  brow  of  care,  and  whose 
original  humor  in  that  house  has  ahvays  called  forth 
peals  of  laughter.  JVe  saw  the  big  tears  roll  dow7i  his 
cheeks  for  the  well  depicted  sufferings  of  Helen  Mac- 
gregor.  Mrs.  Duff  will  appreciate  the  compliment 
when  we  tell  her  that  the  tears  of  Hyatt  attested  the 
excellence  of  her  performance." 

On  March  15  Mrs.  Duff  appeared  in  "The  Distrest 
Mother,"  calling  forth,  in  the  following  terms,  one  of 
those  slurring  comphments  heretofore  alluded  to,  and 
peculiar  to  the  Albion  alone  :  "  We  have  no  room  to 
speak  of  'The  Distrest  Mother'  except  to  laud  Mrs. 
Duff's  Herfnione,  and  to  wish  that  she  would  be  a  little 
less  tragic  in  her  tragedy.  Horace  says  that  people 
who  wish  to  make  others  weep  should  begin  by  weep- 
ing themselves ;  but  he  never  meant  that  they  should 
keep  their  visages  in  a  perpetual  state  of  irrigation. 
With  this  exception  Mrs.  Duff  is  without  a  superior 
on  the  American  stage." 

Among  thousands  of  notices  in  American  papers  on 
Mrs.  Duffs  performances  the  above  are  the  only  dis- 
paraging remarks  that  have  been  found. 

Mrs.  Duff  next  played  Cora  in  "  Columbus ;  "  and 
asrain  Elvira  to  Alexander  Wilson's  Roll  a,  in  which 
she  seemed  to  evince  extraordinary  power,  her  last 
scene  being  pronounced  sublime.  Her  succeeding 
characters  were  Angela  in  "  The  Castle  Spectre,"  Lady 
Randolph,  Florinda,  Therese,  Desdeviona,  and  Iinogine 
to  Forrest's  Bertrajn,  which  was  thus  noticed  by  the 
Mirror :  — 

"  We  must  now  speak  of  Mrs.  Duff,  and  we  hardly 


MRS.   DUFF. 


79 


know  how  to  say  enough  in  her  praise.  Those  who 
are  fond  of  strong  excitement  will  not  find  an  enter- 
tainment more  suited  to  their  taste  than  her  enactment 
oi  Jmo^ie^  but  persons  who  cannot  depend  on  the 
strength  of  their  nerves  should  not  venture  to  witness 
it.  We  believe  that  there  were  very  few  present  on 
the  occasion  of  which  we  speak  whose  looks  were  not 
sometimes  stiffened  with  horror  as  she  depicted  the 
woes  of  the  heroine." 

Her  long  engagement  terminated  with  a  second 
benefit  on  the  25th  of  July,  when  she  appeared  as 
Elvira  (with  Forrest  as  Rolld)  and  as  Aujiette  in 
"  The  Maid  and  Magpie."  During  the  season  she 
had  appeared  upwards  of  sixty  times  and  represented 
twenty-six  different  characters,  —  Belvidera,  Calaiithe, 
Elvira,  AladajJie  Cler77iont,  and  Queen  Elizabeth  tak- 
ing precedence  in  the  number  of  repetitions. 
■,.  Mrs.  Duff  had  now  established  as  high  a  reputation 
in  New  York  as  in  Boston  or  Philadelphia,  and  press 
and  people  were  lavish  inJigL^raise. 

I  Of  all  the  articles  written  on  her  performances  and 
s/mming  up  her  merits,  none  perhaps  was  more  just 
and  discriminating  than  the  following  which  appeared 
in  the  Mirror  of  May  5,  1827  :  — 

"  Mrs.  Duff.  This  lady  is  decidedly  the  best  ac- 
tress in  our  country. 

"  We  have  for  a  long  time  intended  to  speak  of  her 
in  a  separate  article  and  more  at  length  than  the  limits 
of  a  notice  of  the  performances  through  the  week 
would  permit.  The  subject  however  is  one  of  diffi- 
culty.    There  are  few  who  are  not  able  to  appreciate 


80  M/^S.   DUFF. 

good  playing,  but  there  are  fewer  who  are  capable  of 
conveying  to  the  mere  reader  anything  like  a  distinct 
idea  of  an  actor's  merits. 

"  To  Mrs.  Duff  in  particular  this  obsen-ation  applies. 
In  her  style  of  acting  there  are  none  of  those  prom- 
inent points,  none  of  those  strongly  marked  character- 
istics, which  are  of  such  ser\dce  to  the  dramatic  critic 
in  his  observations  on  the  stage. 

''Mrs.  Duff  has  one  great  characteristic,  one  re- 
markable peculiarity  that  strikes  all  who  see  her,  and 
that  is  unifo7'7jiity  of  excellence.  She  makes  no  points. 
We  cannot  say  of  her  as  we  used  to  say  of  Kean,  — 
'that's  a  beautiful  touch.'  Her  merits  and  defects 
(though  the  latter  are  few  in  number  and  trivial  in 
moment)  per\-ade  the  whole  of  every  character  she 
undertakes.  There  is  no  singling  them  out  and  saying 
'  such  a  speech  was  given  in  a  pre-eminently  fine  man- 
ner, and  in  such  a  scene  she  did  not  seem  to  have  a 
full  conception  of  her  author's  meaning.'  Frpm  begin- 
ning to  end,  from  her  first  entrance  to  her  final  exit, 
you  see  before  you  only  the  character  she  is  person- 
ating. The  unity  of  her  conception  —  the  ofieness  —  is 
remarkable.  No  temptation  can  induce  her  to  break 
it.  If  a  scene  offer  ever  so  much  opportunity  for  dis- 
play, and  it  be  a  display  not  authorized  by  the  whole 
design  and  tenor  of  the  part,  she  suffers  it  to  pass  by 
unnoticed. 

"This  is  the  perfection  of  her  art.  This  is  the  way 
to  deceive  and  delight  an  audience.  They  forget  they" 
are  in  a  theatre,  and  '  live  o'er  the  scene.' 

"  If  a  noise  occur  in  the  gallery  Mrs.  Duff  exhibits 


MRS.   DUFF.  8 1 

no  consciousness  of  it  as  many  very  naturally  do,  thus 
permitting  the  player  to  be  seen  through  the  regal  robe 
or  sacerdotal  habit. 

"  She  seems  to  have  a  separate  existence  during  the 
continuance  of  the  play,  and  to  have  lost  all  knowledge 
of,  and  even  all  power  of  seeing,  the  realities  around 
her.  Kean  used  to  startle  us  by  electric  flashes  ;  Mrs. 
Barnes  occasionally  shines  out  with  great  brilliancy ; 
but  Mrs.  Duff  pours  out  one  unceasing  blaze  during 
the  whole  time  she  occupies  the  stage.  \Ye_do,  not 
mean  to  say  that  there  is  a  uniformity  of  interest  in 
ajl  she  does,  but  a  uniformity  of  excellence. 

"  In  an  important  passage  she  gives  us  no  declama- 
tion or  rant  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  she  does 
not  think  it  beneath  her  powers  and  slight  it. 

"  The  playing  of  this  lady  may  be  compared  to  the 
poetry  of  Goldsmith.  No  fits  and  starts,  no  rising  and 
falling,  except  as  the  dignity  of  the  subject  varies. 
There  is  scarcely  a  person  who  ever  read  '  The  Desf^rted 
Village  '  for  the  first  time  who  did  not  think  h*  'self 
capable  of  writing  as  well,  till  by  the  experiment  he 
became  convinced  of  his  error.  This  arises  from  the 
truth  of  the  sentiment,  and  the  care  and  beautiful 
polish  the  author  has  bestowed  on  that  admirable  pro- 
duction. So  it  is  with  Mrs.  Duff's  acting.  At  first 
when  we  see  her  we  are  like  Partridge  in  Fielding's 
novel,  and  are  ready  to  exclaim, '  Psha,  there  is  no  great 
excellence  in  that.'  This  impression  however  is  of 
no  great  duration,  and  we  soon  are  willing  to  acknowl- 
edge that  her  art  is  perfect  in  proportion  as  it  assimilates 
itself  to  nature. 

6 


82  MRS.   DUFF. 

"  In  the  Bourbonic  Museum  at  Naples  there  is  a 
large  fragment  of  an  unfinished  statue  of  Hercules. 
It  is  unfinished,  but  every  line  and  trace  about  it 
declare  it  to  have  been  the  work  of  a  master  genius. 
So  it  is  with  the  playing  of  several  of  our  prominent 
actresses,  but  it  is  not  so  with  Mrs.  Duff,  whose  work 
is  finished  at  every  point. 

"  Since  we  have  drawn  an  illustration  from  sculpture, 
we  might  properly  speak  of  her  style  as  bearing  a  re- 
semblance to  the  immortal  Phidian  Goddess,  every 
feature  of  which  is  true  to  nature,  but  which  presents 
a  whole  more  beautiful  than  Nature's  choicest  works. 
Who  that  has  seen  Mrs.  Duff  in  the  part  of  Jane  Shore, 
for  example,  will  not  perceive  the  aptness  of  the  re- 
mark ?  In  every  line,  in  every  word,  she  is  true  to 
the  author,  and  departs  not  in  a  single  instance  from 
his  delineation ;  yet  the  character  as  given  by  her  is 
one  of  far  greater  dignity  than  Rowe  had  the  ability 
to  draw." 

Alter  a  few  weeks'  rest  Mrs.  Duff  appeared  at  the 
Park  Theatre  on  the  27th  of  September  in  conjunction 
with  Mr.  Cooper,  their  opening  play  being  "Venice 
Preserved."  She  was  here  seen  as  Belvidera,  Lady 
Macbeth,  Madame  Clermont,  Lnogiiie,  Volumnia,  Eu- 
genia, —  and  on  her  benefit  night,  her  last  before  visit- 
ing Europe,  as  Virginia,  for  the  first  time  in  New  York. 
Although  their  off-nights  were  occupied  by  the  power- 
ful attraction  of  the  first  engagement  in  New  York  of 
Clara  Fisher,  whose  popularity  brought  her  a  benefit 
of  sixteen  hundred  and  eleven  dollars,  Mrs.  Duff  and 
Mr.  Cooper  were  liberally  and  fashionably  patronized, 


MRS.   DUFF. 


83 


and  universal  regret  was   expressed  at  the  lady's  in- 
tended absence. 

Mrs.  Duff  next  proceeded  to  Boston,  where  she 
commenced  an  engagement  on  the  17th  of  October. 
After  playing  a  few  nights  the  critics  of  our  modern 
Athens  were  incensed  to  find  that  Hackett  and  Barnes, 
in  their  great  hit  of  the  Two  Dromios,  were  absorbing 
most  of  the  patronage  of  the  public.  Some  of  the 
newspaper  articles  are  here  reproduced. 

From  the  Boston  Gazette,  Oct.  22,  1827,  we  quote  :  — 

''  The  stage  for  the  past  week  has  indeed  presented 
a  '  Comedy  of  Errors.'  The  high  soaring  of  genius  has 
been  unheeded,  and  senseless  mimicry  and  grimace 
have  borne  the  ascendant. 

"  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  an  actress  of  more  decided 
talent  in  tragedy  than  any  one  on  the  English'"st£^:e'trt- 
this  hour,  has  performed  three  nights  at  the  Federal 
Street  Theatre  to  little  better  than  bare  walls.  Nor 
can  our  play-going  community  plead  ignorance  of  her 
merits ;  here  they  first  electrified  an  audience^  and 
^^r^  fV.^y  fi^i^j-  bn^g*^  f'-^'-'-^-'  from  obscurity  into  sunshine. 

V  At  this  moment  Mrs.  Duff  is  more  highly  gifted 
thin  ever;  her  powers  have  ripened  into  matured 
excellence,  and  in  her  particular  line  her  contempora- 
ries readily  yield  her  the.  palm.  We  think  she  has 
gready  improved  since  her  last  visit,"  and  are  convinced 
she  can  make  a  stand  in  any  tlieatre  whalL^u.  ■~'~~^ 

"  On  Friday  evening  we  saw  her  for  the  first  time  in 
Mada7?ie  Clennont,  and  since  her  wonderful  effort  in 
Hermione  we  have  seen  nothing  to  equal  it.  In  the 
last  scene  she  seemed  to  throw  off  her  identity,  and 


f4  ^^^•5-.   DUFF. 

looked  and  moved  as  a  supernatural  being ;  her  face 
assumed  a  cast  altogether  Siddonian,  and  her  hurried 
and  pathetic  tones  penetrated  us  with  an  involuntary 
shudder.  We  could  only  lament  the  capriciousness  of 
taste  which  would  disregard  such  talent  in  pursuit  of 
buffoonery  and  farce." 

The  Bosto?i  Traveller,  Oct.  23,  1827,  said  :  — 
"  Mrs.  Duff.  There  has  been  nothing  more  surpris- 
ing in  the  annals  of  our  stage  than  that  this  lady  should 
in  the  least  lack  public  patronage.  Mrs.  Duff  is  un- 
doubtedly the  Siddons  of  the  American  stage.  We 
have  seen  no  other  so  fitted,  both  personally  and  men- 
tally, to  take  the  highest  stand  in  her  profession.  In 
the  soul-subduing  qualities  of  her  voice,  so  touching  in 
its  pathos  and  awakening  in  its  energy.  Nature  has 
been  most  liberal  to  her.  The  outline  of  her  head  and 
face  is  classic,  and  her  eyes  are  brilliant  and  powerful. 
She  never  fails  to  carry  her  audience  along  with  her, 
and  so  completely  embodies  the  properties  with  which 
an  author  invests  the  character,  that  her  representations 
are  unerringly  true  to  nature. 

"  Our  stage  is  (Occasionally  illuminated  by  the  genius 
of  such  men  as  Kean,  Macready,  and  Forrest,  but  first- 
rate  female  talent  has  been  almost  unknown  to  us. 
Would  it  not  seem  that  its  very  rarity  should  cause  it 
to  be  cherished  ?  Why,  then,  is  Mrs.  Duff  neglected  ?  " 
The  Boston  Gazette,  Oct.  25,  182 7, said:  — 
"  Mrs.  Duff.  This  lady's  performance  of  Isabella 
was  throughout  the  most  finished  and  effective  repre- 
sentation which  we  have  witnessed  of  the  character. 
Her  chief  power  undoubtedly  lies  in  the  pathetic,  to 


MRS.   DUFF. 


85 


which  indej^  every  lineament  of  her  speaking  face 
seems  to  be  attuned.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  ex- 
quisite pathos  of  her  manner  in  giving  the  ring  to 
Villeroy,  or  her  subdued  frenzy  and  death  scene  in  the 
play.  Although  her  audience  was  not  numerous,  it  was 
composed  for  the  most  part  of  those  who  can  best 
appreciate  the  efforts  of  genius,  and  whose  breathless 
attention  gave  the  happiest  commentary  on  her  success. 
We  have  assurance  from  them  and  others  that  she  shall 
not  leave  Boston  without  a  proper  indemnity  for  her 
exertions,  and  we  think  it  proper  to  state  that  they  will 
be  used  to-morrow  evening  for  her  benefit,  on  which 
occasion  she  will  appear  as  Adelgit/ia,  in  the  play  of 
that  name,  for  the  first  time  in  Boston." 

The  Boston  Courier  said  :  "  We  are  assured  by  sev- 
eral gentlemen  in  her  profession,  who  have  recently 
arrived  from  England,  that  there  is  no  lady  at  present 
on  the  stage  who  can  be  considered  as  in  any  degree 
her  rival,"     • 

The  Boston  Ti'avclhr  responded  :  "  Her  place  can- 
not be  supplied,  as  it  is  granted  by  all  who  have  seen 
her  that  she  has  no  equal  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic 
nor  any  superior  on  the  British  stage." 

Her  benefit  attracted  a  fashionable  house,  and  her 
unrivalled  powers  were  never  more  successfully  exerted 
than  on  that  evening ;  so  said  the  public  press. 

A  brief  re-engagement  followed  for  the  support  of 
Mr.  Forrest,  who  made  his  first  appearance  on  the  2d 
of  November  as  Damon,  and  afterwards  in  succession 
personated  Bo /la,  Virgin  ins,  OtJuilo,  Brutus,  and  Ber- 
tratn,  Mrs.  Duff  being  the  Calafithe,  Elvira,  Virginia, 


8^  MRS.   DUFF. 

Desdemona,  Tidlia,  and  l7?iogi?ie,  —  the  latter  for  her 
final  benefit  on  the  15th  of  the  month. 

T^Irs.  Duff  and  her  husband  sailed  from  Boston  on  the 
ship  "  New  England  "  for  Liverpool  on  the  4th  of  De- 
cember, 1827.  Steam-packets  were  yet  unknown,  and 
at  that  period  of  the  year  it  may  be  imagined  that  the 
voyage  was  not  over  pleasant  or  very  speedy.  After 
Mr.  Duff  had  taken  his  passage,  he  was  disturbed  by  a 
dream  in  which  he  beheld  the  destruction  by  shipwreck 
of  the  vessel  in  which  he  was  to  sail.  This  made  such 
an  impression  upon  his  mind  that  he  changed  his 
tickets  for  those  on  a  packet  to  leave  at  a  later  date, 
in  which  he  and  his  wife  reached  their  destination  in 
safety ;  but  in  Liverpool  he  learned  that  the  former 
ship  had  not  yet  arrived,  nor  was  she  ever  heard  of 
again.  The  story  of  this  dream  has  been  converted 
into  quite  another  shape,  and  has  been  told  in  print  as 
follows  :  "  Mrs.  Duff,  after  her  widowhood,  had  formed 
an  engagement  of  marriage  with  Mr.  Conway,  the 
tragedian,  who  soon  after  sailed  for  Savannah.  A  few 
nights  after  his  departure  the  apparent  ghost  of  the 
tragedian  appeared  to  Mrs.  Duff  in  a  dream.  On 
awakening,  she  wrote  down  the  circumstances,  date, 
and  hour.  Soon  news  arrived  that  Mr.  Conway  had 
committed  suicide  by  plunging  into  the  sea  off  Charles- 
ton Harbor  on  the  very  night  and  hour  of  the  strange 
dream."  The  incorrectness  of  this  version  of  the  story 
will  be  at  once  perceived  when  it  is  remembered  that 
Mrs.  Duff  did  not  become  a  widow  until  April,  183 1, 
and  that  Mr.  Conway  had  perished  in  the  spring  of 
1828,  three  years  before.  But  to  return  to  this  London 
engagement. 


MRS.   DUFF. 


87 


1828. 

, — 

The  American  public  was  anxious  to  learn  the  result 
of  the  experiment ;  but  nothing  was  heard  of  the  Duffs 
until  April,  when  the  news  came  that  Mrs.  Duff,  after 
playing  a  preliminary  and  successful  engagement  at 
Brighton,  had  appeared  on  the  boards  of  Drury  Lane 
Theatre  on  the  3d  of  March,  1828,  in  the  tragedy  of 
"  Isabella,"  with  the  following  cast :  — 

Biron Mr.  Macready. 

Count  Baldwin Mr.  Younge. 

Carlos Mr.  Wallack. 

Villeroy Mr.  Cooper. 

Belford Mr.  Mude. 

Sampson Mr.  J.  Russell. 

Nurse Mrs.  C.  Jones. 

Child Miss  Lane. 

Isabella Mrs.  Duff. 

(From  the  Theatre  Royal,  Dublin ;  her  first  appearance  in 
London.) 

Of  the  above  cast,  it  may  be  remarked  that  Miss 
Lane  is  the  sole  survivor,  and  that  she  is  now  known  in 
America  as  the  very  talented  Mrs.  John  Drew  (1882). 

Why  Mrs.  Duff  was  announced  as  from  Dublin  has 
not  been  explained,  but  probably  from  a  desire  to 
avoid  the  prejudice,  then  supposed  to  exist  in  London, 
against  everything  American ;  and  especially  because 
Thomas  A.  Cooper,  the  foreign  born  but  naturalized 
American  actor,  had  recently  been  almost  hissed  from 
the  boards  on  his  first  appearance  as  Macbeth.  Mrs. 
Duff  had  originally  played  at  the  DubHn  Theatre  ;  so 
the  announcement,  though  deceptive,  was  not  altogether 
fictitious. 


(5? 


MRS.   DUFF. 


i 


.  The  comments  of  the  London  press  were  very  various. 
The  TJieatrical  Observer  condemned  her  performance, 
and  said  she  wanted  energy,  action,  and  —  most  of  all 
—  mind.  Still  it  acknowledged  that  she  was  received 
with  some  favor.  The  Loudon  Atlas  spoke  of  her  as 
a  respectable  but  not  a  remarkable  performer,  and  the 
Gazette  observed  that  her  fright  was  so  excessive  as  to 
prevent  the  possibility  of  forming  a  decided  opinion 
relative  to  her  merits. 

BelFs  Weekly  Messenger,  however,  gave  a  very  dif- 
ferent expression  of  opinion.  It  said:  "The  tragedy 
of '  Isabella '  was  performed  for  the  purpose  of  intro- 
ducing a  Mrs.  Duff  in  that  character.  The  lady  is 
pleasing  in  features,  elegant  in  person,  and  seems  to 
possess  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business  of  the 
stage.  She  performed  Isabella  with  considerable  effect. 
There  was  a  graceful  ease  in  her  deportment,  a  proper 
conception  of  the  author,  and  an  impassioned  manner 
in  the  delivery  of  the  text,  which  appeared  to  make 
considerable  impression  on  the  audience,  which  was 
very  numerous." 

But  these  remarks  were  tame  compared  with  the 
S^'criticism  which  appeared  in  the  London  Age,  herewith 
' annexed  :  — 

"  The  house  was  not  full,  and  the  audience  by  no 
means  one  of  those  we  sometimes  find  in  theatres  on 
first  nights,  predetermined  to  applaud  whatever  was 
not  absolutely  repulsive.  On  the  contrary  we  never 
saw  a  house  in  the  beginning  much  more  indifferent, 
nor  did  we  ever  see  a  more  thorough  triumph  over 
such  indifference.     The  applause  at  first  was  reluctant 


MRS.  DUFF. 


89 


and  guarded,  but  in  every  succeeding  scene  it  increased 
in  frequency  and  fer\'or,  until  at  length,  when  the  sec- 
ond appearance  of  the  actress  was  announced,  it  rose 
to  absolute  enthusiasm.  Under  such  circumstances  the 
triumph,  of  course,  must  have  been  complete,  and 
the  actress  had  the  right  to  prize  it  more  dearly  from 
its  having  been  accorded  without  favor,  and  only  after 
a  clear,  unbiassed  conviction  that  it  could  not  with 
honesty  have  been  denied. 

"  Mrs.  Duff  appears  to  be  about  eight  and  twenty. 
Her  figure  is  good,  and  her  action  graceful  but  not 
redundant.  She  seems  perfecUy_self:P_o_ssessed._,  From 
the  moment  she  came  upon  the  stage  until  the  moment 
she  left  it  there  appeared  an  utter  unconsciousness 
about  her  of  an  audience.  She  was  absorbed  in  the^ 
character  she  represented.  She  gave  not  only  every 
slfuatidiTbut  every  syllable  in  such  a  manner  as  would 
have  most  delighted  Southern  himself,  and  was  never 
disheartened  by  any  omission  to  notice  the  more  deli- 
cate and  most  beautiful  touches,  nor  betrayed  into 
extravagance  by  the  eagerness  with  which  the  more 
obvious  —  and  consequently  less  valuable  —  points  were 
seized  upon  by  the  audience  and  vehemently  clapped. 
Her  eye  is  the  finest  since  the  time  of  Mrs.  Siddons. 
Her  voice  is  full  of  expression,  but  unequal.  She  has 
not,  in  fact,  what  the  French  call  tears  in  her  voice,  and 
consequently  was  less  touching  in  her  tears  than  in  the 
anguish  beyond  the  power  of  weeping,  which  she  con- 
veys with  surpassing  excellence. 

"  It  will  be  the  fault  of  the  management  if  Mrs.  Duff 
does   not   do  great   things  for  Drury   Lane  Theatre. 


90 


MRS.   DUFF. 


There  is  no  actress  in  her  hne,  now  on  the  London 
stage,  with  so  much  intellectual  energy ;  and  though 
many  surpass  her  in  physical  force,  the  former  quality, 
though  it  may  not  achieve  so  quick  a  fame  for  her,  will  se- 
cure her  one  of  higher  value  and  infinitely  more  lasting."* 
It  is  very  probable  that  ]\Irs.  Duff  was  not  at  her  best 
on  this  occasion ;  it  would  indeed  have  been  singular 
if  she  had  been.  An  appearance  in  a  strange  theatre 
(enormous  in  size,  and  designated  by  Mrs.  Siddons  her- 
self as  "the  wilderness  "),  before  an  unfamiliar  audience, 
and  in  a  foreign  land,  has  usually  in  it  something  ap- 
palling, even  to  the  most  self-confident.  In  Mrs. 
Duffs  case  anxiety  for  the  result  undoubtedly  some- 
what embarrassed  her,  and  in  a  measure  paralyzed  her 
powers.  She  wrote  to  her  friend  Mrs.  Charles  Durang 
that  she  had  never  before  suffered  so  much  from  stage- 
fright,  and  that  the  applause  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
play  was  so  tremendous  that  it  entirely  unnerved  her. 
In  truth  the  strain  upon  her  nervous  system  had  been 
so  great  that  she  was  prostrated  under  its  effects  and 
prevented  by  illness  from  making  her  second  appear- 
ance until  the  14th  of  April,  when  she  again  came  for- 
ward in  the  tragedy  of  "  Adelgitha,"  supported  by  John 
Cooper  as  Guiscard,  Charles  Kean  as  Lothair  (in 
which  character  he  was  decidedly  condemned),  Wallack 

*  A  similar  diversity  of  opinion  among  theatrical  critics  was 
noticeable  during  the  recent  visits  to  London  of  Mr.  Edwin 
Booth  and  Mr.  John  McCullough;  but,  as  in  Mrs.  Duff's  case, 
the  audience  signified  approval,  and  the  gentlemen  remained 
long  enough  to  convince  even  captious  critics  of  their  high 
deserts. 


MRS.   DUFF. 


91 


as  Michael  Diicas^  and  the  lovely  Miss  Foote,  since 
Countess  of  Harrington,  as  Iinina. 

Adelgitha,  though  a  less  favorite  character  with  the 
audience,  was  admitted  to  have  been  better  performed 
than  Isabella,  and  it  increased  the  favorable  impression 
made  by  the  actress.  Even  the  Theatrical  Observer, 
which  had  previously  said  that  she  lacked  mind,  now 
acknowledged  that  she  had  good  sense,  understood 
thoroughly  her  author,  and  possessed  talents  which 
might  be  of  service  to  the  theatre. 

BelVs  Weekly  Messenger  followed  up  its  previous 
opinion  by  saying  that  Mrs.  Duff  made  the  most  of  the 
character  and  displayed  talents  of  no  ordinary  kind ; 
that  she  became  a  great  acquisition  to  Drury  Lane ; 
and,  if  not  comparable  to  a  Siddons  or  an  O'Neill,  was 
at  least  superior  to  the  actresses  who  of  late  had  aspired 
to  the  highest  rank  in  her  art. 

With  these  accounts  of  her  favorable  reception,  and 
the  prospect  of  increasing  success,  the  theatrical  public 
was  soon  after  astounded  to  hear  of  Mrs.  Duffs  un- 
expected return  to  xA.merica. 

Many  were  the  reasons  imagined  and  assigned  by 
the  press  of  America  for  this  sudden  change  of  pro- 
gramme,—  the  most  general  being  the  determination  of 
the  English  public  to  show  no  favor  to  American  talent 
or  to  allow  that  any  good  thing  could  come  out  of 
Nazareth;  and  just  retaliation  was  recommended  by 
certain  journals  against  such  English  actors  as  might 
hereafter  seek  employment  on  our  shores  ! 

The  New  York  Albion  took  perhaps  the  most  sen- 
sible view  of  the  subject  in  its  issue  of  July  5,  1828, 


92 


MRS.   DUFF. 


when  it  said :  ^'  It  has  never  been  satisfactorily  ex- 
plained why  Mrs.  Duff  left  England  so  precipitately, 
where  a  person  of  her  talents  is  evidently  wanted  and 
where  her  d^but  had  been  so  fortunate.  Without  pre- 
tending to  be  in  any  one's  secrets  we  think  we  can 
undertake  to  declare  that  all  the  theories  invented  by 
the  newspapers  for  the  solution  of  this  are  very  wide 
of  the  mark.  It  is  sufficient  for  us  now  to  express  our 
gratification  that  Mrs.  Duff  has  returned  and  that  we 
are  likely  to  retain  so  clever  a  woman  among  us." 

There  were  no  doubt  several  reasons  combined  which 
induced  the  determination  of  a  return  to  America,  one 
of  which  was  probably  a  disagreement  between  Stephen 
Price,  —  then  manager  of  Drury  Lane,  —  and  Mr.  Duff 
regarding  Mrs.  Duff's  salary.  For  the  two  nights  that 
she  played  she  received  —  nothing !  Another  was 
that  even  with  a  liberal  salary  the  expenses  of  a  resi- 
dence in  London  with  their  large  family  would  absorb 
it  all.  Mr.  Duff  probably  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
although  Mrs.  Duff's  fame  might  be  increased  by  a 
London  engagement,  their  general  prosperity  would  be 
advanced  by  a  return  to  America,  where  they  were  so 
widely  known  and  highly  esteemed.  And  perhaps  the 
most  powerful  of  all  was  to  be  found  in  Mrs.  Duff's 
family  pride,  grief,  and  disappointment.  On  her  ar- 
rival in  England  her  sister,  Mrs.  Moore,  did  not  come 
near  her,  but  sent  word  from  a  fashionable  watering- 
place  that  it  would  not  be  convenient  to  receive  her. 
Her  mother  and  her  younger  sister  were  dead,  and 
Mr.  Duff's  health  was  in  a  failing  condition.  So  their 
visions  of  the  gold  and  glory  that  were  to  be  gained  on 


MKS.   DUFF. 


93 


British  ground  were  summarily  dispelled ;  and  on  the 
2oth  of  May,  landing  from  the  ship  "  Amethyst "  at 
Boston,  our  voyagers  once  more  set  foot  upon  the 
shores  of  America. 

They  had  scarcely  reached  the  wharf  when  an  en- 
gagement was  concluded  with  Mrs.  Duff  by  Messrs. 
Finn  and  Kilner,  of  the  Federal  Street  Theatre,  for 
her  appearance  there  on  the  2  2d  and  30th  of  May,  the 
only  two  nights  before  the  close  of  the  season  that 
were  unappropriated.  On  these  occasions  she  played 
Mrs.  Hallcr  and  Isabella,  the  parts  of  the  Stranger  and 
Bh'on  being  assumed  by  Mr.  Finn.  The  houses  were 
full  and  fashionable,  and  her  reappearance  was  greeted 
in  the  most  enthusiastic  manner. 

She  was  also  engaged  for  one  night  at  the  little  town 
of  Salem,  where  she  played  Isabella  to  a  crowded 
house. 

On  the  17th  of  June  she  triumphantly  reappeared 
at  the  Chatham  Garden  Theatre,  New  York,  in  the 
character  of  Mrs.  Haller  to  the  Stranger  of  Mr. 
Mapvood.  Florinda,  Eugenia,  and  Adelgitha  followed 
in  succession. 

On  the  28th  she  appeared  at  the  Park  Theatre  (for 
the  last  time)  for  Mr.  Booth's  benefit,  as  Florinda  to 
his  Pescara.  In  return,  for  Mrs.  Duff's  benefit  at  the 
Chatham,  Booth  volunteered  as  jfaffier  to  her  Belvidera 
in  '^  Venice  Preserved."  She  terminated  her  engage- 
ment July  3,  as  Isabella. 

A  most  admirable  company  was  this  season  gathered 
at  the  Chatham,  including  Alexander  Wilson  (who 
at  one  period  of  his  career  was  thought  the  equal  of 


SH^SF 


MI^S.   DUFF. 


95 


For  the  winter  season  Mr.  Duff  was  employed  at 
the  Federal  Street  Theatre,  Boston,  and  played  when 
his  health  permitted ;  but  Mrs.  Duff  accepted  an  en- 
gagement at  the  new  Tremont  Theatre,  at  a  salary  of 
fifty  dollars  per  week  and  four  clear  benefits  during 
the  season.  This  appears  to  be  the  largest  salary  she^ 
ever  received  for  her  individual  services  during  her 
entire  career,  although  at  the  present  time  it  would 
be  thought  utterly  beneath  the  notice  of  any  ordinary 
leading  actress. 

Mrs.  Duff  was  to  have  opened  at  the  Tremont  Thea- 
tre on  the  15  th  of  October  but  was  prevented  by  sick- 
ness from  appearing  until  the  29th,  when  the  Tremont 
bills  bore  the  following  heading  :  — 

"The  manager  has  the  pleasure  to  announce  that 
Mrs.  Duff,  having  recovered  from  her  indisposition, 
will  make  her  first  appearance  this  evening  in  the  part 
of  Floriuda.  In  order  to  gratify  the  wishes  of  many 
individuals  that  Mrs.  Duff  would  appear  in  two  of  her 
most  celebrated  characters  in  conjunction  with  Mr. 
Booth,  an  arrangement  has  been  made  with  Mr.  Booth 
to  prolong  his  engagement  for  two  nights,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  appearing  in  the  characters  oi Pescara  in  'The 
Apostate  '  and  Orestes  in  '  The  Distrest  Mother,'  the 
parts  oi  Flo7'inda  and  Hermione  by  Mrs.  Duff." 

This  arrangement  was  carried  out  with  brilliant  suc- 
cess and  was  followed  by  the  engagement  of  Mr.  Wal- 
lack,  to  whose  Rolla,  Hamlet  and  Macbeth,  Mrs.  Duff 
appeared  as  Elvira,  Ophelia,  and  Lady  Macbeth. 

On  the  13th  of  November  she  went  to  the  Federal 
Street  Theatre  to  play  Mrs.  Haller  for  her  husband's 


a 


'96 


MRS.   DUFF. 


benefit;  and  on  the  19th  took  her  own  at  the  Tremont 
as  Juliet,  with  Wallack  as  her  Romeo  and  Cooper  as 
Mercutio,  when  she ^ was  honored  with  a  crowded  and 
fashionable  house. /Theatrical  etiquette  at  that  time  de- 
manded the  announcement  of  an  immediate  re-engage- 
menty^nd  on  the  24th  of  November  she  reappeared 
as  Mrs.  Be7!edey  to  Cooper's  Gamester,  —  and  for  his 
benefit,  on  the  26th,  as  Calaiiihe  to  his  Damon  and 
Katherine  to  his  Petruchio.  On  the  28th  the  present 
distinguished  and  unrivalled  veteran  of  Wallack's  The- 
atre, John  Gilbert,  made  his  d^but  on  the  stage  with 
entire  success  as  Jaffier  —  to  Alexander  Wilson's  Pierre 
and  Mrs.  Duff's  Belvidera  —  in  ''Venice  Preserved." 
A  living  witness  of  her  extraordinary  skill,  he  has  re- 
cently acknowledged  that  he  never  saw  her  superior. 

On  the  loth  of  December  Mrs.  Duff  took  her 
second  benefit,  as  Statira  to  the  beautiful  Mrs.  Pelby's 
Roxana  and  Wilson's  Alexander  the  Great. 

She  now  made  a  short  excursion  to  Philadelphia, 
and  it  was  hoped  that  her  former  great  popularity 
would  attract  a  paying  house  at  the  Chestnut  Street 
Theatre  where  dramatic  entertainments  had  become 
almost  totally  neglected.  The  receipts  per  night  some- 
times did  not  reach  twenty-five  dollars ;  and  a  combi- 
nation of  three  stars,  Henry  Hunt,  Sophia  Phillips, 
and  Clara  Fisher,  attracted  only  sixty  dollars.  She 
opened  there  on  the  24th  of  December  as  Bcllamira 
to  a  hundred  and  forty-one  dollars,  and  followed  with 
Florinda,  Mrs.  Beve7'ley,  Mrs.  Hallcr,  —  and  Adelgitha 
for  her  benefit,  on  the  3Tst,  when  the  receipts  reached 
two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  dollars.     She  gave  an 


MRS.   DUFF. 


97 


additional  night  as  Juliet,  for  the  benefit  of  Mr.  South- 
well who  played  Roitieo,  but  only  to  a  fifty-two  dollar 
house ! 

1829. 

On  her  return  to  Boston  in  January,  1829,  she 
supported  Mr.  Hamblin  during  an  engagement  in 
the  course  of  which  she  played  Qiieeti  Elizabeth^  Mrs. 
Haller^  yane  Shore,  Calantke,  Belvidera,  and  Helen 
Macgregor,  —  the  latter  for  the  benefit  of  the  cele- 
brated Madame  Feron,  who  played  Diana  Vernon  to 
Horn's  Franeis  Osbaldistone  and  Hambhn's  Rob  Roy. 
Her  ya7ie  Shore,  in  particular,  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  the  nndience,  and  sent  her  hearers  weeping 
to  their  beds.  V  Oneauditor  said  :  "  The  closing  scenes 
had  touches  which  went  directly  to  the  heart.  We 
shall  long  remember  the  faded  face,  the  melancholy 
sweetness,  the  imploring  up-turned  eye,  when  asking 
aid  from  the  cold  hand  of  charity  and  spurned  from 
the  door  where  once  she  found  a  ready  welcome. 
There  was  dumb  eloquence  in  her  grief  which  mocked 
all  clamorous  sorro\\\^ 

On  f?ie''22d  of  February  Mrs.  Duff  was  again  enti- 
tled to  a  benefit  and  produced,  for  the  first  time  in 
Boston,  Miss  Mitford's  tragedy  of  "  Rienzi,"  with 
Hamblin  as  the  hero,  Mr.  Archer  as  Adrian  Colonna, 
Mrs.  Pelby  as  Lady  Colonna,  and  her  own  assumption 
of  Claudia.  The  press  now  called  attention  to  the  fact 
of  her  husband's  illness  and  the  necessity  of  a  liberal 
patronage,  as  the  support  of  her  large  family  (seven. 
children)  devolved  entirely  on  her  own  exertionsj —  one 
paper  saying  that  "  the  cares  and  anxieties  of  her  home 
7 


98  MRS.   DUFF. 

life,  added  to  the  tasks  of  her  stage  avocations,  would 
seem  sufficient  to  depress  the  most  active  spirit ;  and 
they  would  of  any  woman  whose  genius  was  not,  like 
Mrs.  Duff's,  wakened  and  warmed  with  something 
liigher  than  the  mere  desire  of  popular  applause."  \ 

Mr.  Wallack  commenced  an  engagement  on  the  nth 
of  March  as  Rolla,  when,  for  the  first  time  in  several 
years,  Mrs.  Duff  resumed  her  original  personation  of 
Cora,  for  that  night  only.  She  subsequendy  played 
Desdemona  to  his  Othello,  Claudia  to  his  Riejizi,  yidiet 
to  his  Romeo,  —  and  for  his  benefit  returned  to  Elvira 
in  "  Pizarro,"  Mrs.  Papanti,  a  favorite  vocalist,  being 
substituted  as  Cora.  On  the  8th  of  April  her  fourth 
benefit  occurred,  when  she  presented  J.  N.  Barker's 
tragedy  of  "  Superstition,"  wherein  she  appeared  as 
Mary  for  the  first  time  in  Boston,  and  also  enacted 
there  for  the  first  time  Portia  in  the  Trial  scene  of 
"The  Merchant  of  Venice." 

The  press  was  more  than  usually  emphatic  in  its 
appeals  to  the  public  for  its  patronage,  as  the  previous 
benefits  had  not  equalled  Mrs.  Duff's  just  expectations. 
An  impression  seemed  at  the  time  to  prevail  that  Mrs. 
Duff's  name  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  bill  for 
the  manager's  benefit  rather  than  her  own,  an  opinion 
which  was  distinctly  denied  in  the  following  article  from 
the  Daily  Advoiiser  of  April  8  :  "  A  report  has  been 
very  prevalent  that  the  proceeds  of  this  evening  are 
not  actually  for  the  benefit  of  Mrs.  Duff;  but  we  have 
it  in  our  power  to  state  that  the  actual  receipts  of 
money  arising  from  the  sale  of  tickets  this  night,  after 
deducting  the  current  expenses  of  the  house,  are 
wholly  hers." 


MRS.    DUFF.  gg 

The  bills  of  April  1 6  bore  the  annexed  heading : 
"The  performances  of  Mrs.  Duff  having  received  great 
approbation  the  public  is  respectfully  informed  that 
she  is  engaged  for  the  remainder  of  the  season  and 
will  appear  this  evening,  for  the  first  time  this  season, 
as  Therese  in  '  The   Orphan  of  Geneva.'  " 

On  the  2 2d  she  appeared  as  MathiUe  in  the  first 
performance  of  a  drama  called  "  The  Bohemian 
Mother  "  in  which  she  made  one  of  her  greatest  hits. 
She  repeated  it  fourteen  nights  during  the  balance  of 
the  season,  and  ultimately  it  was  represented  by  her  a 
greater  number  of  times  than  any  other  character.     "  "" 

Her  performance  was  thus  noticed  by  the  Boston 
Traveller :  "  The  part  of  Mathilde  is  peculiarly  adapted 
to  the  fine,  sympathetic  powers  of  Mrs.  Duff;  and  she 
seems  very  wisely  to  seize  hold  of  the  advantage  and, 
in  the  tender  and  affecting  scenes,  almost  go  beyond 
herself.  Its  effect  upon  the  audience  is  striking.  They 
are  by  degrees  attracted  to  what  is  passing  before 
them,  and  insensibly  become  spellbound,  holding  a 
breathless  silence  until  the  charm  is  broken  either  by 
the  termination  of  the  scene  or  by  the  sobbing  aloud 
of  some  warm-hearted  lady  who  was  unable  longer  to 
repress  her  feelings." 

Another  drama  of  a  somewhat  similar  character 
entitled  "Ambrose  Gwinett,"  in  which  Mrs.  Duff 
represented  the  heroine,  Lucy  Fairlove^  also  met  with 
marked  favor.  Sensationalism  then,  as  now,  was  sure 
of  popular  appreciation  and  applause. 

Mr.  Booth,  always  a  favorite  in  Boston,  next  had  an 
engagement  during  which  Mrs.  Duff  appeared  as  Queen 


100  ^^^S.   DUFF. 

Elizabeth,  Florinda,  and  Herinione  to  his  Richard,  Pes- 
cara,  and  Orestes.  For  her  fifth  and  final  benefit,  June 
25,  he  appeared  as  the  Stranger  to  her  Mrs.  Haller. 

Again  at  the  Tremont  Theatre,  for  the  regular  season 
of  1829-30.  Mrs.  Duff  opened  her  engagement  on  the 
1 6th  of  September  in  her  popular  character  of  the 
Bohe7niaJi  Mother.  Her  attraction  was  sometimes 
combined  with  that  of  Mademoiselle  Celeste,  the  cele- 
brated danseuse,  then  in  the  first  flush  of  youthful 
loveliness ;  sometimes  with  that  of  the  charming  vo- 
calist, Mrs.  Edward  Knight,  or  the  "  Mocking-bird 
Squaw  "  as  an  Indian  hearer  once  designated  her ;  and 
sometimes  with  that  of  Mr.  Cooper,  for  whose  benefit 
on  the  3d  of  October  she  personated  Mrs.  Haller  to 
his  first  performance  in  Boston  of  the  Stranger. 

In  November  "The  Ethiop,"  in  which  she  played 
Cephania,  was  revived  and  run  six  consecutive  nights, 
and  in  the  same  month,  with  Mr.  Booth,  she  again 
appeared  in  several  popular  tragedies.' 

On  the  4th  of  December,  for  the  first  time  in  Boston, 
Shakespeare's  ''  Richard  II  "  was  performed,  with  Mr. 
Booth  as  Richard,  Mr.  Wilson  2iS  John  of  Gaimt,  Mr. 
W.  H.  Smith  as  Boliiigbroke,  Mr.  Thayer  as  Percy,  and 
Mrs.  Duff  as  Queen  Isabel,  —  a  part  which  she  does 
not  seem  ever  to  have  repeated. 

On  the  7th  of  the  month  she  first  undertook  Shell's 
Evadne  in  the  tragedy  of  that  name,  and  was  progress- 
ing triumphantly  with  it  when  Mr.  Booth,  who  was 
cast  for  the  character  of  Ludovico,  broke  down  com- 
pletely in  the  third  act  of  the  play,  which  was  thus 
brought  to  an  abrupt  conclusion. 


MRS.    DUFF.  lOi 

On  the  13th  Mrs.  Duff  took  her  beuefit  in  a.  new- 
tragedy  on  the  story  of  Mary  Stuart  (probably  adapted 
from  Schiller's  popular  drama),  in  which'  she,  of  eoaisc, 
assumed  the  role  of  the  unfortunate  queen."  Vlis.  G. 
Barrett  personated  Elizabeth,  Tvlr.  Scott,  Leicester,  and 
Mr.  W.  H.  Smith,  Mortimer.  It  was  again  announced 
that  all  proceeds  were  for  the  benefit  of  Mrs.  Duff. 

Mr.  Forrest — who  was  now  on  the  rising  tide  of  popu- 
larity, and  who,  despite  all  adverse  criticism,  possessed 
elements  of  greatness,  a  freshness  and  vigor  of  style 
combined  with  a  personal  grandeur  and  magnetism,  not 
united  in  any  of  his  competitors  —  commenced  an 
engagement  on  the  28th  as  Macbeth  with  Mrs.  Duff  as 
Lady  Macbeth.  On  the  30th  they  appeared  as  Damon 
and  Calanthe,  on  the  ist  of  January,  1830,  as  Rolla  and 
Elvira,  on  the  4th  as  Ludovico  and  Evadne,  and  on 
the  6th  as  William  Tell  and  Efnma. 


1830. 

On  the  24th  of  January  Mr.  Booth  re-appeared  in  the 
following  admirable  representation  of  "  Hamlet "  :  — 

Hamlet Mr.  Booth. 

King Mr.  Scott. 

Polonius Mr.  Kilner. 

Laertes Mr.  W.  H.  Smith. 

Horatio Mr.  G.  Jones. 

Osric Mr.  Thayer. 

Gravedigger Mr.  Hyatt. 

Ghost Mr.  Wilson. 

Ophelia Mrs.  G.  Barrett. 

Queen  Gertrude Mrs.  Duff. 


102 


MRS.   BUFF. 


Fc  the  first'  ti.ne,  and  to  oblige  Mr.  Booth,  ^Irs.  Duff 
cGiibentey  i6  act  the  repulsive  part  of  the  Queen. 

Tn-  this  xasf  especially  noticeable  are  ]Mrs.  Barrett 
whb,  when  playing  Ophelia  a  few  years  later  to  Charles 
Kemble's  Htwilet,  was  pronounced  by  his  daughter 
Fanny  the  most  perfect  specimen  of  female  loveliness 
she  had  ever  looked  on ;  and  also  the  handsome  and 
promising  George  Jones  who  in  after  life  developed 
such  conspicuous  eccentricities  under  the  style  and 
title  of  George  the  Count  Joannes. 

February  i  Mrs.  Duff  personated  Desdemona  to  the 
Othello  of  Forrest  and  the  lago  of  Booth,  a  com- 
bination of  excellence  as  rare  as  it  was  superlatively 
fine. 

For  Mr.  Booth's  benefit  on  the  3d  she  represented 
Constance  to  the  Faiilconbridge  of  Forrest  and  Booth's 
King  John  ;*  and,  soon  after,  Belvidera  to  Booth's 
Pierre  and  Forrest's  y^?^^?-. 

February  15  Stone's  well  known  tragedy  of  "Meta- 
mora  "  was  produced  for  the  first  time  in  Boston,  and 
met  with  the  same  success  that  attended  its  original 


*  The  cast  of  ' 
on  record,  viz :  — 

King  John  .... 
Faulconbridge  .  . 
King  Philip  .  .  . 
Lewis  the  Dauphin . 
Hubert  ....  Mr. 
S:ilisbury  .... 
Pembroke  .... 
Archduke  of  Austria 
Robert  Faulconbridge 
Cardinal  Pandulph  . 
Chaiillon    .     .     .  Mr. 


King  John  "  at  this  date  is  one  of  the  finest 


.  Mr.  Booth. 
.  Mr.  Forrest. 
.  .  Mr.  Scott. 
.  Mr.  Thayer. 
W.  H.  Smith. 
.  Mr.  Comer. 
Mr.  B.  Blaike. 
Mr.  G.  Jones. 
.  Mr.  Whiting. 
Mr.  W.  Jones. 
Collingbourne. 


Essex 

James  Gurney     .     . 
Citizen  of  Angiers  . 

Heralds     •     •     •    { 

Prince  Henry      .     . 
Prince  Arthur     .     . 
Lady  Constance 
Queen  Elinor 
Lady  Faulconbridge 
Blanch  of  Castile 


.     Mr.  Leman. 

Mr.  Clements. 

.  Mr.  Hyatt. 
Mr.  J.  S.  Jones. 
Mr.  Eberle. 

Miss  McBride. 
Mrs.  G.  Barrett. 

.  .  Mrs.  Duff. 
Mrs.  W.  Jones. 

Mrs.  Campbell. 
Mrs.  Papanti. 


MRS.   DUFF. 


103 


production  in  New 
preserving. 


Metamora 
Lord  Fitzarnold 
Sir  Arthur  Vaugha 
Guy  of  Go  da 
Horatio     . 
Errington  . 
Church 
Wolfe    .     . 
Tramp  .     . 
Holyoke    . 
Goodenough 
Kanshine  . 
Child    .     . 
Oceana 
Nahmeokee 


York.     Both  casts  are  well  worth 


Park  Theatre,  New 
York,  1829. 

Mr.  Forrest. 

Mr.  Richings. 

Mr.  Chapman. 

Mr.  Woodhull. 

Mr.  Barry. 

Mr.  Langton. 

Mr.  T.  Placide. 

Mr.  Nexsen. 

Mr.  Povey. 

Mr.  Wheatley. 

Mr. . 

Mr.  Blakely. 

Miss  S.  Parker. 

Mrs.  Hilson. 

Mrs.  Sharpe. 


Tremont  Theatre, 
Boston,  1830. 

Mr.  Forrest. 

Mr.  Scott. 

Mr.  W.  Jones. 

Mr.  Wilson. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Smith. 

Mr.  Comer. 

Mr.  G.  Jones. 

Mr.  B.  Blaike. 

Mr.  J.  S.  Jones. 

Mr.  Leman, 

Mr.  Eberle. 

Mr.  Collingbourne. 

Mrs.  G.  Barrett. 
Mrs.  Duff. 


Mrs.  Duff's  performance  was  highly  praised  for  its 
pathos  and  truth  to  nature,  and  was  pronounced  a  noble 
counterpart  to  Forrest's  Metamora,  whose  admirable 
portraiture  of  Aboriginal  character  gave  an  un waning 
popularity  to  the  tragedy  for  more  than  thirty  years. 

On  the  loth  of  March  Mrs.  Duff  for  the  first  time 
played  in  Mrs.  Inchbald's  comedy  of  "  Every  One  Has 
His  Fault "  as  the  discarded  daughter  and  wretched 
wife  and  mother,  Lady  Elinor  Irwin,  whose  sufferings 
in  her  hands  excited  the  profoundest  sympathy. 

On  the  24th  she  personated  Queen  Elizabeth  to 
:Mr.  Hackett's  wonderful  imitation  of  Kean  as  Richard 
III,  Mr.  Hackett  was  a  born  comedian.  He  achieved 
great  success  in  various  departments  of  humor  and 
was  for  years  the  only  acknowledged  representative  of 


I04  ^^^S-   DUFF. 

Fahtaff,  who  seems  to  have  died  with  him ;  yet  he 
had  a  perpetual  hankering  after  the  honors  of  tragedy 
and,  as  lately  as  1840,  during  an  engagement  at  the 
Park  Theatre,  New  York,  played  Lear  three  times  and 
Hamlet  once  or  twice,  more  to  the  satisfaction  of  him- 
self however  than  of  the  public. 

In  April  Mrs.  Duff  undertook  two  entirely  new 
characters  :  Rosiiie  in  the  celebrated  Fanny  Wright's 
tragedy  of  "  Altorf ;  "  and  soon  after  that  of  Amabel  in 
Miss  Mitford's  "Julian,"  but  neither  added  to  her  fame  ; 
nor  has  either  play,  wherever  performed,  had  more 
than  a  transient  success.  For  her  benefit,  she  brought 
out  Scott's  "House  of  Aspen,"  in  which  she  personated 
Isabella  with  such  success  that  several  repetitions  were 
demanded  before  the  close  of  the  season. 

A  trip  to  Baltimore  followed,  where  on  the  3d  of 
May  she  opened  as  Jane  Shore.  On  the  loth  she 
appeared  for  the  first  time  as  Ljicy  Ashton  in  "  The 
Bride  of  Lammermoor,"  and  in  her  long  neglected 
character  of  the  Coimtess  of  Lovelaiigh  in  the  comedy 
of  "  Rochester." 

During  this  engagement  she  played  a  large  number 
of  her  favorite  characters,  with  the  strong  support  of 
Messrs.  Cooper,  Forrest,  Hamblin,  Archer,  Walton, 
Mrs.  Hamblin  (the  first),  Mrs.  Ma>^vood,  and  others. 
For  the  first  time  she  also  personated  Rebecca  in 
"  Ivanhoe." 

On  the  9th  of  June  Mrs.  Duff  commenced  an  en- 
gagement at  the  Walnut  Street  Theatre,  Philadelphia, 
in  the  character  of  Adelgitha,  —  taking  her  benefit  on 
the   14th  in  "The  Bohemian  Mother  "  and    in  part  of 


MRS.   DUFF. 


105 


"The  Merchant  of  Venice."  Mr.  Duff,  who  for  a  long 
time  has  been  lost  sight  of,  appeared  in  the  afterpiece 
as  Looney  McTwolter.  The  engagement  was  renewed 
for  a  few  nights  and  terminated  with  another  benefit 
on  the  23d,  when  she  played  Cordelia  with  the  aid  of 
Mr.  Booth  as  King  Lear.  Her  husband  also  appeared 
as  Teagiie  in  "  The  Honest  Thieves." 

It  was  probably  of  this  performance  that  the  amiable 
and  accurate  Mrs.  Trollope,  in  her  "  Domestic  Manners 
of  the  Americans,"  wrote  that  she  went  to  see  Mr.  Booth, 
formerly  of  Drury  Lane,  in  the  character  of  Lear  and 
a  Mrs.  Duff  in  Cordelia,  but  that  she  had  seen  too 
many  Lears  and  Cordelias  to  be  easily  pleased,  and 
thought  the  whole  performance  very  bad. 

Returning  to  Boston  Mrs.  Duff  closed  the  season  by 
appearing  as  Mrs.  LLaller,  Lmogine,  and  Lsabella  in 
"The  House  of  Aspen,"  the  last  on  the  ist  of  July. 
During  the  preceding  nine  months  she  had  played 
more  than  one  hundred  times,  or  an  average  of  every 
alternate  play-night. 

In  the  autumn  of  1830  a  new  theatre  was  erected 
in  Baltimore  for  Messrs.  Booth  and  Duff,  to  which 
the  proprietors  gave  the  name  of  the  Adelphi,  but 
which,  in  consequence  of  its  poor  location,  soon 
gained  the  unenviable  title  of  the  Mud  Theatre. 
Here  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff  appeared  on  the  4th  of 
October  in  the  tragedy  of  "  Isabella."  The  house  was 
scarcely  ready  however  for  an  audience,  and  on  the 
6th  inst.  the  company,  which  was  a  strong  one,  pre- 
sented at  the  Holliday  Street  Theatre  the  tragedy  of 
"  The  Distrest  Mother  "  with  Booth,  Porter,  Mrs.  Duff, 
and  Mrs.  Hughes  in  the  leading  parts. 


I06  ^^^^^-   DUFF. 

At  the  Adelphi  on  the  28th  of  October  Mrs.  Duff 
played  Portia  to  the  Shylock  of  Mr.  Charles  Kean  ;  and 
on  another  evening  she  enacted  the  Queen  Mother  to  his 
Hamlet,  in  the  extraordinary  cast  of  that  tragedy  when 
Mr.  Booth  played  the  Second  Actor {\)  Mr.  Warren 
Polonius,  Mr.  Archer  Laertes,  Mr.  Duff  the  Ghost, 
Mr.  John  Sefton  Osric,  ^Ir.  Flynn  the  Gravedigger, 
and  Mrs.  Flynn  Ophelia. 

It  was  perhaps  for  Charles  Kean's  benefit  that  Mr. 
Booth  voluntarily  assumed  this  trifling  part,  for  the 
purpose  of  attracting  a  large  house  by  its  startling 
absurdity,  and  for  the  enactment  of  which  he  was  hon- 
ored with  round  upon  round  of  enthusiastic  applause. 
Kean,  a  youthful  star  at  this  time,  possessed  Uttle 
brilliancy  of  his  own,  and  had  played  his  engagements 
in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore  to  receipts 
averaging  less  than  the  nightly  expenses  of  the  theatre. 

The  entire  month  of  November  was  passed  by  ]Mrs. 
Duff  at  the  Chestnut  Street  Theatre,  Philadelphia, 
where  on  the  iSth  she  added  the  character  of  Zorayda 
in  '"The  East  Indian  "  to  her  repertory.  She  received 
two  benefits  during  this  period,  at  one  of  which  she 
appeared  in  ''The  Gamester"  and  "The  Maid  and 
Magpie"  with  Mr.  Cooper  as  Beverley;  and  at  the 
other,  November  29,  as  Florinda  in  "  The  Apostate," 
when  her  husband  played  Make,  —  probably  his  last 
appearance  on  any  stage. 

1831. 

On  December  31,  1830,  was  announced  Mrs.  Duff's 
first  appearance  at  the  theatre  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  then 


iV/^S.   DUFF. 


107 


managed  by  Mr.  Faulkner,  her  initial  character  being 
Isabella.  She  continued  there  until  the  latter  part  of 
March,  1831,  occasionally  supported  by  Mr.  Forrest, 
occasionally  by  Mr.  Cooper,  and  on  one  occasion  in 
"The  Distrest  Mother"  by  Frederick  Brown,  formerly 
of  Boston.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  in  the  company 
at  the  time  was  George  H.  Hill,  afterwards  known  under 
the  popular  name  of  Yankee  Hill,  who  played  anything, 
from  the  Senthicl  in  "  Pizarro  "  and  Cateshy  in  "  Jane 
Shore  "  down  to  the  ruffian  Pedro  in  "  Isabella,"  —  or 
any  subordinate  part  in  which  he  might  be  cast. 

Mrs.  Duff  on  the  9th  of  April  reappeared  at  the 
Chestnut  Street  Theatre,  Philadelphia,  in  the  character 
Q>i  Adelgitha  —  the  scholarly  Mr.  Barton,  afterwards  the 
friend  and  adviser  of  Miss  Cushman,  playing  Guiscard 
and  Mr.  Wood  Michael  Ducas. 

Augustus  Addams,  then  in  his  youthful  prime  and 
giving  promise  of  a  prosperous  career  as  a  tragedian, 
here  brought  out  the  tragedy  of  "  Miantonimoh,  or  the 
Wept  of  Wish-ton-wish,"  which  had  already  been  suc- 
cessfully played  in  New  York.  Addams  of  course 
represented  the  hero  Cofianchet  and  Mrs.  Duff  made 
a  deep  impression  as  the  pale-faced  Indian  maiden 
Narramattah . 

Mrs^  Duff ,  was  progressing  successfully  with  her 
engagement  \vheii  tlie  dangerous  condition  of  her  hus- 
band's health  caused  her  retirement.  His  death  occurred 
on  the  28th  of  April,  1831,  at  the  age  of  forty-four. 
Mr.  Wood  says  of  him  that  he  always  maintained  a 
high  reputation  with  the  audience  of  Philadelphia. 
He  was  long  an  esteemed  member  of  the  company, 


I08  ^'^^^S.   DUFF. 

greatly  respected  for  his  gentle  and  unassuming  man- 
ners and  his  excellent  conduct  in  his  domestic  rela- 
tions. Duff  was  conspicuous  for  his  gravity  and  reserve 
in  private  life,  while  in  public  he  seemed  all  vivacity 
and  spirit. 

A  benefit  was  given  to  Mrs.  Duff  on  the  14th  of 
May,  although  she  took  no  part  in  the  performances, 
which  consisted  of  the  romance  of  "  The  Ethiop  "  and 
the  farce  of  "  Love  Laughs  at  Locksmiths."  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wood,  Messrs.  John  Woodhull,  Darley, 
Porter,  H.  Eberle,  \V.  B.  Chapman,  J.  Mills  Brown, 
and  Charles  Green,  with  Mrs.  C.  Durang,  Miss  Ham- 
ilton, and  Miss  Caroline  Chapman  were  in  the  casts. 
The  last,  a  very  talented  young  lady  so  highly  appre- 
ciated at  Burton's  Chambers  Street  Theatre  a  few 
years  later,  and  who  now  played  as  Miss  Greenwood, 
enacted  Zoe  in  the  play  and  Lydia  in  the  farce. 

The  necessities  of  her  family  however  required  an 
early  resumption  of  Mrs.  Duff's  duties,  and  on  the  24th 
of  May  she  reappeared  in  Chestnut  Street  as  Mrs. 
Hallcr  to  the  StraJtger  of  Mr.  A.  Addams,  terminating 
her  engagement  on  the  30th  as  Florinda. 

On  the  7th  of  June  she  made  her  first  appearance 
for  the  season  at  the  Tremont  Theatre,  Boston,  as  Mrs. 
Hallcr,  following  it  with  Elvira,  Mrs.  Beverley,  Amelia 
St.  Germaiii  in  Dunlap's  "  Fate  of  a  Gamester  "  (first 
time),  Evadiie,  Mathildc,  and  Lnmalee  (first  time)  in 
"  Melmoth  the  Wanderer." 

Mrs.  Duff  next  fulfilled  a  fortnight's  engagement  in 
New  York,  and  made  her  first  appearance  for  four 
years  at  the  Bowery  Theatre  on  the  22d  of  June.     She 


MRS.   DUFF.  109 

played  J^ane  Shore,  supported  by  Mr.  Booth  as  Gloste?-, 
Mr.  Cooper  as  Hastings,  Mr.  Hamblin  as  Dumont, 
and  Mrs.  Stone  as  Alicia,  —  a  cast  of  unprecedented 
excellence.  Her  second  appearance  was  on  the  24th 
as  Lady  Ra7idolph,  with  Hamblin  as  Young  Nerval, 
Booth  as  Old  Norval,  and  Cooper  as  Gknalvon.  At 
the  bottom  of  the  bill  was  the  announcement  that  "  the 
tragedy  of  '  Jane  Shore '  having  been  received  by  a 
crowded  and  brilliant  audience  with  the  most  thrilling 
and  rapturous  applause,  Mrs.  Duff  will  make  her  third 
appearance  these  four  years  on  Saturday  next  in  that 
character,  supported  by  the  powerful  talents  of  Messrs. 
Cooper,  Booth,  and  Hamblin."  The  Mif-ror  spoke 
of  her  performance  of  this  part  (which  she  repeated 
three  times)  as  evincing  even  more  than  her  usual 
power  and  producing  an  intense  impression  on  her 
audience.  She  took  her  benefit  on  the  6th  of  July  as 
Lady  Co7istance  and  Mathilde,  Booth  personating  King 
John,  Hamblin  Faiilconbridge,  Scott  Hubert,  and  pretty 
Miss  Pelby  the  persecuted  Pri?ice  Arthur. 

The  next  engagement  of  Mrs.  Duff  was  at  the  Wal- 
nut Street  Theatre,  Philadelphia,  where  she  opened  as 
jfane  Shore  on  the  13th  of  July.  She  here  again  had 
the  brilliant  co-operation  of  Messrs.  Booth,  Cooper, 
Hamblin,  Barton,  Rowbotham,  Wemyss,  Mrs.  May- 
wood,  Mrs.  Rowbotham,  Miss  Riddle,  and  others.  The 
bill  of  this  performance  is  given  on  the  following  page. 

For  her  benefit  on  the  27th  she  appeared  in  her  still 
favorite  character  of  jfuliet,  Mr.  Barton  playing  Romeo, 
and  Mr.  Hamblin  Mercutio,  each  for  the  first  time  in 
America.     Her   engagement  and  her   labors   for    the 


^\^ALNUT     STREET. 


Powerful      Attraction! 
Grand    Concentration    of 

TALENT. 

T'ne  Managers  of  this  Establishment,  anxious  to  gratify  their  patrons 
and  the  lovers  of  the  Drama,  have  spared  neither  pains  nor  expense  to 
render  the  Theatre  worthy  of  public  patronage,  and  in  addition  to  the 
Brilliant  names  of 

COOPER, 

BOOTH, 

AND 

BARTON, 

They  have  added  that  favourite  Actress, 

MRS.    DUFF, 

Who  will  appear  this  Evening  in  the  Character  of 

JJ^NE    SHORE. 

Wednesday    Evening,  July   13,   1831. 

Will  be  presented  Rowe's  celebrated  Tragedy  of 

JANE    SHORE. 

Richard,  Duke  of  Gloster Mr.  BOOTH. 

Lord  Hastings Mr.  COOPER. 

Dumont Mr.  BARTON. 

Jane  Shore Mrs.  DUFF. 

Ahcia Mrs.  MAYWOOD. 

After  which.,  [2d  time']  the  laughable  Farce  of 

Past    10    o'clock. 

TO-MORROW   EVENING, 

Mr.  J.   R.   Smith's    Benefit. 


MRS.  DUFF.  Ill 

season  ended  on  the  30th  of  July,  when  for  the  benefit 
of  Mr.  Maywood  she  appeared  as  Lady  Macbeth  and 
Elvira  in  selections  from  "  Macbeth  "  and  "  Pizarro." 

The  fall  season  of  1831  was  opened  by  Mrs.  Duff  at 
the  x\rch  Street  Theatre,  Philadelphia,  September  14, 
in  the  character  of  Jajte  Shore,  with  the  celebrated  Mrs. 
Drake  —  the  so-called  "Queen  of  the  West"  —  as 
Alicia.  Messrs.  Cooper,  Archer,  and  John  R.  Scott, 
a  young  and  popular  actor  of  the  Forrest  school,  were 
also  in  the  cast.  The  combination  of  Mrs.  Drake  with 
Mrs.  Duff  in  the  same  play  attracted  much  attention 
and  afforded  a  long  wished  for  opportunity  of  compar- 
ing their  very  different  yet  powerfully  exciting  styles  of 
acting. 

To  Mrs.  Drake's  passionate  Roxana,  Mrs.  Duff 
portrayed  the  tender  gentleness  of  Statira ;  to  her 
(dashing  worldliness  as  the  fashionable  Miss  Dorillon, 
Mrs.  Duff  exhibited  the  retiring  modesty  and  conjugal 
submissiveness  of  the  amiable  Lady  Priory ;  while  to 
her  fiery  Emilia,  Mrs.  Duff's  touching  sweetness  and 
resigned  endurance  of  undeserved  suffering  as  Desde- 
mona  proved  a  most  affecting  and  harmonious  con- 
trast. 

On  one  occasion  at  this  period  Mrs.  Duff  played 
Lady  Randolph  to  the  Young  Norval  of  the  child- 
actress  Alexina  Fisher,  afterwards  the  idol  of  the  Phila- 
delphia stage,  and  now  the  esteemed  and  popular  Mrs. 
Baker. 

On  the  5th  of  October  she  was  complimented  with 
a  house  of  eight  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  her  bene- 
fit (admission  to  boxes  seventy-five  cents,  to  pit  thirty- 


112  MRS.   DUFF. 

seven  and  one-half  cents) ,  playing  Eugenia  in  "  The 
Foundling  of  the  Forest,"  and  introducing  to  the  stage 
her  eldest  daughter  Mary  as  Ej'tiestine  in  "  The  Som- 
nambulist "  with  entire  success.  Young,  beautiful,  and 
highly  accomplished,  Mary  Duff  afterwards  became 
Mrs.  A.  Addams  and,  later,  Mrs.  J.  G.  Porter ;  but 
few  could  have  anticipated  at  this  period  the  ultimate 
unhappiness  of  her  later  years. 

Edmund  Beauchamp,  the  hero  of  "  The  Somnambu- 
list," was  personated  by  James  E.  Murdoch,  the  gentle- 
man and  scholar,  who  was  then  gaining  fame  in  a  line 
of  youthful  parts,  and  who  has  since  been  highly  es- 
teemed as  a  genteel  comedian  and  elocutionist.* 

Mrs.  Duff  next  fulfilled  a  brief  engagement  at  Balti- 
more, adding  there  one  new  character  to  her  list  — 
that  of  Elspat  McTavish  in  a  drama  founded  on  Scott's 
"  Highland  Widow."  For  her  benefit  she  played  Lady 
Elhioi'  Irwin,  her  daughter  appearing  in  "  The  Som- 
nambulist," and  as  in  Philadelphia  she  was  honored 
with  a  crowded  house. 

She  was  then  secured  by  Richard  Russell  for  the  new 
Richmond  Hill  Theatre,  New  York,  where  she  made 
her  first  appearance  on  the  15th  of  November,  183 1, 
in  the  part  of  Bdvidera.  Her  engagement  was  one 
continued  triumph.  She  played  her  old  characters 
with  renewed  success,  and  added  several  new  ones  to 
her  list,  in  which  she  won  unbounded  approbation. 

*  Mr.  Murdoch,  in  his  recently  published  work  on  the  stage, 
alludes  to  Mrs.  Duff  as  the  most  excellent  tragic  actress  of  the 
Old  School  in  America,  as  a  woman  of  great  amiability  of 
disposition  and  exceedingly  nervous  temperament. 


MRS.   DUFF.  113 

The  daily  press  was  loud  in  her  praise,  and  frequent 
astonishment  was  expressed  that  her  talents  should  be 
confined  to  so  small  a  stage.  Extracts  from  various 
newspaper  articles  are  herewith  given  :  — 

"  Last  evening  Mrs.  Duff  made  her  first  appearance. 
Of  this  lady,  the  first  in  her  line  in  this  country,  too 
much  cannot  be  said  either  of  her  professional  or  pri- 
vate merit." 

"  Mrs.  Duff  and  Mr.  Cooper  performed  Beverley  and 
Mrs.  Beverley  in  "  The  Gamester  "  with  a  spirit  and 
effect  equal  if  not  superior  to  any  similar  performance 
in  this  country.  He  seems  to  improve  with  age  ;  she 
needs  no  improvem^t." 

''  Mrs.  Duff,  at  the  Richmond  Hill,  brings  white 
heads  —  and  wise  ones  too  —  to  enjoy  her  striking  and 
powerful  playing." 

On  the  occasion  of  her  benefit,  December  15,  she 
appeared  in  "  The  Bohemian  Mother "  and  for  the 
seventh  time  as  Rose  Redland  in  the  new  domestic 
drama  of  "  The  Robber's  Wife,"  a  part  in  which  Miss 
Ellen  Tree  was  eminently  successful  in  London.  Call- 
ing attention  to  this  event  the  Courier  and  Enquirer 
remarked  :  "  Mrs.  Duff  takes  her  benefit  this  evening  at 
Richmond  Hill.  It  is  a  general  remark  of  those  who 
have  had  the  pleasure  of  witnessing  her  performances 
that  it  is  to  them  a  matter  of  great  surprise  why  the 
.first  female  tragedian  of  this  country  should  not  have 
the  doors  of  the  principal  theatres  open  to  her  under 
advantageous  engagements.  We  do  not  pretend  to 
account  for  such  anomalies."  xA.gain :  "We  have 
seldom  if  ever  beheld  a  lady  capable  of  arousing  and 
8 


114 


MRS.   DUFF. 


touching  the  feelings  like  Mrs.  DufF.  With  a  noble 
person  for  the  stage,  and  a  face  full  of  soul,  she  ad- 
dresses herself  to  the  hearts  of  her  hearers  in  a  voice 
which  for  plaintive  tenderness  and  thrilling  expression 
we  have  never  known  equalled." 

^  In  the  latter  part  of  December  Mrs.  Duff  had  a  brief 
leave  of  absence,  which  she  employed  in  running 
through  a  short  engagement  in  Arch  Street,  Phila- 
delphia. 

1832. 

She  returned  to  New  York  in  January,  1832,  making 
her  re-entree  at  Richmond  Hill  on  the  2d  of  the 
month  in  her  highly  popular  part  of  Rose  Redland. 
The  critics  again  sounded  forth  her  praises  in  terms 
hke  the  following  :  — 

"  Richmond  Hill  really  deser\'es  a  warm  patronage. 
Mrs.  Duff  shines  forth  there  as  she  would  shine  any- 
where." 

"  Mls^DufLJias  no  superior  on  the  American  stage. 
Her  representations  are  full  of  the  most  touching 
te_nderness  and  pathos." 

''Mrs.  Duff  lias  filled  the  house  whenever  she 
performed." 

"  Mrs.  Duff  is  at  the  head  of  her  profession." 

"  The^ talented  Mrs.  Duff  takes  a  benefit  this  evening 
at  the  Richmond  Hill.  During  her  short  re-engage- 
ment she  has  confirmed  the  impression  of  the  audience 
that  she  has  no  superior  in  this  country." 

The  benefit  alluded  to  took  place  on  the  30th  of 
January,  and  Mrs.  Duff  appeared  as  Adelgitka,  and  as 
Mary  in  the  new  and  popular  nautical  drama  of  "  Will 
Watch." 


MRS.   DUFF. 


115 


On  the  I  St  of  February  the  bills  of  Richmond  Hill 
Theatre  bore  the  following  heading  :  — 

"  Re-engagement  of  Mrs.  Duff  !  !  R.  Russell  begs 
most  respectfully  to  announce  to  his  patrons  that  on 
Monday  evening  a  general  call  was  made  by  the  audi- 
ence for  a  re-engagement  with  this  talented  actress. 
Having  succeeded  in  doing  so,  Mrs.  Duff  will  have 
the  honor  of  making  her  appearance  this  evening  as 
Elvira  r 

On  the  4th  of  February  she  appeared  as  Lady 
Macbeth,  supported  by  Alexander  Wilson  as  the  guilty 
thane.  It  was  this  performance  that  is  referred  to  by 
Horace  Greeley  in  his  ''  Recollections  of  a  Busy  Life," 
in  the  following  passage  :  "  At  Richmond  Hill  I  saw 
^Irs.  Duff  personate  Lady  Macbeth  better  than  it  has 
since  been  done  in  this  city,  though  she  played  for 
thirty  dollars  per  week  and  others  have  since  received 
ten  times  that  amount  for  a  single  night.  I  doubt  that 
any  woman  has  since  played  in  our  city  —  and  I  am 
thinking  of  Fanny  Kemble  —  who  was  the  superior  of 
Mrs.  Duff  in  a  wide  range  of  tragic  characters." 

Mrs.  Duff  appears  to  have  been  the  only  actress  who 
made  a  lasting  impression  on  the  mind  of  Horace 
Greeley.  When  editor  of  the  New  Yorker,  about 
1836  or  1837,  he  recun-ed  to  the  fact  of  her  recent 
prolonged  absence  from  New  York,  and  said  that  he 
should  not  cease  alluding  to  the  subject  till  she  was 
again  installed  upon  our  stage,  —  adding  that  it  was  a 
disgrace  to  the  dramatic  taste  of  the  city  that  her  ap- 
pearance had  not  been  called  for  in  terms  too  decided 
to  be  misunderstood. 


Il6  MRS.   DUFF. 

Mrs.  Duff's  engagement  terminated  on  the  8th  of 
February,  but  slie  was  found  to  be  so  attractive  that 
Mr.  Russell  announced  on  the  12th  that  he  had  in- 
duced her  to  relinquish  her  southern  tour  and  that  she 
was  re-engaged  for  the  balance  of  the  season. 

Although  she  was  the  undisputed  representative  of 
the  loftiest  characters  on  our  stage,  her  appearance  in 
minor  dramas  was  found  more  profitable  to  the  theatre  ; 
and  therefore,  in  addition  to  parts  already  mentioned, 
she  was  brought  forward  as  Mary  the  Innkeeper's 
Daughter,  Lissette  the  Sergeant's  Wife,  Ella  Rosen- 
berg, Innogen  in  "  Adelmorn  the  Outlaw,"  Zelmda  in 
"  The  Slave,"  and  Victorine  in  the  new  drama  of  that 
name,  —  in  which  she  met  with  the  highest  popular 
success  and  warmest  critical  approval.  She  took  her 
final  benefit  for  the  season  on  the  9th  of  April,  when  she 
appeared  as  Lyieushee  Lovell,  the  Gypsy  of  Ashlmrn- 
ham  Glen,  her  daughter  Mary  making  her  first  appear- 
ance in  New  York  as  Hele7i    Worrett  in   "  Man  and 

Wii^^J^AJjmiuL^XkZ^^  Dead  Shot." 
,  Of  Miss  Mary  Duff  the  Philadelphia  Album  had 
'lately  given  this  description:  "With  all  the  elegance, 
dignity,  and  purity  that  characterize  the  style  of  her 
mother's  acting,  she  combines  exquisite  beauty  and 
grace  of  carriage.  Her  voice  has  much  of  the  melody 
and  pathos  of  her  mother's  and  in  the  low  and  soft 
tones  is  peculiarly  and  touchingly  sweet  and  melting. 
Her  readings  are  correct  and  spirited  and  won  her 
much  and  merited  applause.  When  time  and  practice 
have  added  fullness  and  force  to  her  voice  and  domes- 
ticated her  more  completely  to  the  stage,  this  charming 


MRS.   DUFF. 


117 


young  lady  will  be  found  perfectly  worthy  to  wear  the 
mantle  of  her  accomplished  motheri 

Mrs.  Duff  next  journeyed-'ToT3oston,  where  she 
reappeared  at  the  Tremont  Theatre  in  conjunction 
with  Mr.  Forrest,  on  the  ist  of  May,  in  the  tragedy 
of  "  Macbeth."  During  their  engagement,  to  his 
uMdfamora,  Spartaciis,  Pierre,  Othello,  and  Carwm  she 
appeared  as  Nahmeokee,  Senona,  Belvidera,  Emilia 
(first  time),  and  Therese,  and  on  her  benefit  night  as 
Elvira  to  his  Rolla  and  her  daughter's  Cora,  this 
being  the  latter's  first  appearance  in  Boston.  A  very 
large  and  fashionable  audience  collected  on  this  occa- 
sion to  give  a  token  of  respect  to  an  old  favorite,  and 
to  welcome  the  daughter  to  the  stage  that  had  so  long 
been  worthily  graced  by  the  mother. 

Mrs.  Duff's  engagement  was  renewed,  but  here  as  in 
New  York,  at  so  late  a  period  in  the  season,  her  most 
attractive  performances  were  in  '"'The  Bohemian 
Mother,"  "  The  Robber's  Wife,"  ''  The  Foundling  of 
the  Forest,"  and  a  new  drama  entitled  "The  Cradle 
of  Liberty,"  from  Cooper's  "  Lionel  Lincoln,"  in 
which  she  represented  the  character  of  Crazy  Nab. 
The  Boston  critics  were  as  earnest  and  as  forcible  in 
her  praise  as  they  had  ever  been.  She  was  still  pro- 
nounced without  a  rival  in  the  country,  and  Jier  per- 
fect enunciation,  propriety  of  action,  and  jim pie.,  dignity 
ofmanneF  were  recommended  to  the  ladies  of  the 
cityT'^'standards  of  excellence  worthy  of  their  closest 

During  the  preceding  nine  months  Mrs.  Duff's  name 
is   found   attached   to   one   hundred  and   thirty-eight 


I 


Il8  MRS.   DUFF. 

characters,  the  mostjrequenJLsingle  perfomvance  being 
that  of  J^ose  J^edland,  yxhich.  she  personated  fourteen 
times.  Victoritie  was  the  next  in  number,  having  had 
eleven  representations.  Belvidera,  Mathilde,  and  Maf-y 
in  '•  Will  Watch  "  were  each  given  seven  times  ;  Mrs. 
Ifaller,  Eugefiia,  and  Lissette  in  "  The  Sergeant's 
Wife,"  each  six  times  ;  and  numerous  others,  five  rep- 
resentations or  less. 

Where  is  the  actress  now  who  would  submit  to  such 
onerous  requirements  or  be  able  to  endure  such  an 
immensejiuotmt-of teborkms  study? 
j  Upto  this  period  ]\Irs.  Duff  had  had  no  rival  in  the 
tragic  line,  but  a  new  and  brilliant  star  was  soon  to 
appear  in  the  theatrical  firmament  which  threatened 
to  echpse  all  other  contemporar}^  orbs  on  the  eastern 
borders  of  our  hemisphere ;  and  the  advent  of  Fanny 
Kemble,  with  her  youth,  beauty,  talent,  and  foreign 
prestige,  left  small  room  for  older  lights  to  revolve  in. 
Very  wisely  therefore  Mrs.  Duff  enlisted  under  the 
banner  of  Messrs.  Caldwell  and  Russell  for  a  campaign 
in  the  western  and  southern  sections  of  our  country. 
She  made  her  first  appearance  in  Cincinnati,  October 
3,  1832,  in  the  character  of  Adelgitha,  and  played  a 
round  of  her  most  popular  parts,  terminating  on  the 
15th  in  "  The  Bohemian  Mother." 

Her  principal  support  here  was  from  Messrs.  Cald- 
well, Scott,  James  Thorne,  Russell,  Field  (father  of 
the  distinguished  Miss  Kate  Field  of  to-day),  Gray, 
Muzzy,  Houpt,  Mrs.  Russell,  Mrs.  Muzzy,  Miss  Jane 
Placide,  Mrs.  Rowe,  Miss  Petrie,  and  ^Irs.  Higgins,  — 
some  of  them  well  known  in  our  eastern  cities,  and  all 
of  them  highly  popular  in  the  West. 


MRS.   DUFF.  iiQ 


/  Her  engagement  ended,  Mrs.  Duff  travelled  with  the 
icompany  towards  New  Orleans.  Either  on  this  or  a 
/subsequent  voyage  down  the  Mississippi  the  Asiatic 
cholera  broke  out  among  the  passengers  on  the  steamer 
with  the  most  fatal  results,  and  here  the  beauty  and 
sympathetic  tenderness  of  her  character  shone  out 
with  a  lustre  that  gave  her  more  true  glory  than  all  her 
triumphs  of  art  upon  the  mimic  stage. 

Fearless  for  herself  she  ministered  to  the  sick  and 
dying  with  all  the  devotion  of  a  woman's  nature,  and 
whispered  words  of  comfort  and  Christian  hope  to 
many  a  sinking  wretch  who  before  had  found  few  to 
pity  him  and  none  to  save.  On  her  arrival  at  New 
Orleans  the  survivors  tendered  her  a  vote  of  thanks, 
couched  in  the  most  eulogistic  terms,  which  was  pub- 
lished in  all  the  papers  of  the  day.; 


1833- 


1  She  made  her  first  appearance  in  New  Orleans  on 
the  27th  of  November,  1832,  in  her  wonderful  per- 
formance of  Isabella,  and  continued  to  play  at  intervals 
until  the  middle  of  March,  1833,  but  was  required  to 
study  no  new  part  during  her  engagement.  ^^  Mr.  Barton 
was  her  most  efficient  support  as  the  heroes  of  her 
plays,  and  with  his  aid  she  enacted  Mrs.  Haller,  Mrs. 
Beverley,  Lady  Macbeth,  Cordelia,  and  Elvira. 

pWiTinHe^spring  IVIfs.  "Buff  turned  her  face  north- 
ward, but  no  record  of  her  movements  has  JDeen  found 
until  late  in  June,  when  she  was  announce^  to  appear 
at  the  Richmond  Hill  Thpai-rp^jN^w  Yo^k,  tRRn  under 
the  direction  of  Moses  S.'^^hillips.     Her  engagement 


* 


I20  ^  '        *       MRS.   DUFF. 

^?'^^\  I — 

there  must  have  Dcen  almost  profitless. /.Jheatrical 
busin.ess,_al\vaxs^  dull  at  that  season  of  the  year,  was 
unusually  so  in  the  summer  of  1833,  Tor  TTiF  play^ 
attending  public  had  been  over-fed  and  over-excitedi 
during  the  preceding  season  at  the  Park  and  Boweryj 
by  the  constant  attractions  of  the  Kembles,  Forrest, 
Cooper,  Booth,  Hamblin,  Charles  Kean,  Horn,  "  Yan- 
kee "  Hill,  Mrs.  Austin,  Miss  Hughes,  Clara  Fisher, 
Master  Burke,  Miss  Chfton,  Miss  Vincent,  Madame 
Pedrotti,  Fornasari,  and  the"  Daponte  opera  troupe, 
and  now  required  a  period  of  repose.  Although  Mrs. 
Duff  was  sustained  by  a  company  in  which  were  found 
the  favorite  names  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hilson,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Flynn,  Frederick  Brown,  Charles  Young,  and 
other  respectable  performers,  her  claims  were  unheeded 
and  she  played  her  engagement  to  wretchedly  sparse 
audiences,  taking  her  farewell  benefit  on  the  i8th  of 
July  in  the  charactexnf  Kathefine  the  Shrew. 

>isappointed  and  disheartened  with  the  result  of 
her  year's  labors,  embarrassed  in  her  pecuniary  affairs, 
involved  in  debt  by  the  extravagance  of  her  family, 
and  painfully  affected  by  the  recklessness  of  some  of 
its  members,  Mrs.  Duff  had  now  fallen  into  a  state  of 
despondency  verging  on  insanity. 

It  was  while  she  was  in  this  melancholy  condition 
that  her  friends  were  astounded  by  the  report  of  her 
marriage  to  Mr.  Young,  then  of  the  Richmond  Hill 
company,  and  previously  well  known  in  all  the  leading 
theatres  of  the  country.  It  appeared  that  Mr.  Young, 
while  escorting  her  from  rehearsal  one  morning,  sug- 
gested marriage  to  her,  which,   after   naming  certain 


MRS.   DUFF.  12  1 

Stipulations  and  reservations,  she  accepted  ;  and  having 
invited  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hilson  to  accompany  them  as 
witnesses,  the  parties  went  through  the  nuptial  cere- 
mony according  to  the  ritual  both  of  the  Catholic  and 
Episcopal  churches.  The  peculiarity  of  the  affair  was 
that  Mrs.  Duff  immediately  disavowed  and  repudiated 
the  act,  never  in  any  way  acknowledged  Mr.  Young  as 
a  husband,  and  the  marriage  was  soon  after  legally  dis- 
solved. In  her  petition  for  its  annulment  she  asserted 
that  she  was  persuaded  to  take  this  step  while  in  a  tem- 
porary alienation  of  niind  produced  by  opium  taken  / 
during  a  season  of  illness  and  severe  domestic  sorrow.  jJ 

Many  reasons  have  been  assigned  for  this  most  sin- 
gular  marriage,  but  the  following,  furnished  by  her  friend 
Mrs.  Charles  Durang,  is  probably  the  true  one  :  "  Mrs. 
Duff  was  overwhelmed  with  debts  accumulated  by  the 
extravagance  of  her  family.  In  an  unfortunate  moment 
Charles  Young  beheld  her  distraction  and  offered  his 
hand  to  her  to  aid  her,  representing  that  he  had  just 
fallen  heir  to  a  large  property  in  England,  which  he 
would  settle  on  her  children  if  she  would  accept  him. 
Maternal  affection  prevailed,  conditions  were  agreed 
to,  and  the  ceremony  was  twice  performed.  Scarce 
were  the  ceremonies  over  when  he  confessed  the  im- 
position he  had  practised,  that  he  was  not  worth  a 
cent,  and  that  the  proviso  she  had  made,  —  Jiot  to  live 
with  him  for  three  years  —  was  a  simple  nullity.  Her 
brain  could  bear  no  more  ;  reason  gave  way,  —  when 
Mrs.  Ewing  went  on  to  New  York  and  brought  her 
to  Frankford,  Pennsylvania,  where  she  continued  to 
reside  till  her  mind  was  sufficiently  restored  for  her 
to  resume  her  profession." 


122  ^^^S'   DUFF. 

That  illness  and  domestic  trouble,  combined  with 
professional  misfortunes,  caused  a  temporary  insanity 
there  can  be  no  doubt,  and  to  the  kind  attentions  of 
her  friends  in  Frankford  she  was  indebted  for  her 
restoration  to  the  stage  and  to  society. 

1834. 

On  resuming  her  labors  she  is  first  found  at  the  Chest- 
nut Street,  Philadelphia,  where  she  opened  as  Adelgitha, 
on  the  13th  of  January,  1834.  During  this  engage- 
ment she  twice  played  Lucy  Ashton  in  "  The  Bride  of 
Lammermoor,"  and  on  her  benefit  night  appeared  as 
Elvira  to  Mr.  Murdoch's  first  performance  of  Rolla. 

After  an  engagement  at  Baltimore  she  was  announced 
at  the  Pittsburg  Theatre,  where  she  played  a  number 
of  her  prominent  parts  with  Messrs.  A.  Addams,  Oxley, 
Wemyss,  the  Sefton  brothers,  etc.  in  the  cast.  On 
one  occasion  she  personated  Nahmeokee  to  Mr.  For- 
rest's Metajuora,  her  name  being  in  larger  letters  on 
the  bill  than  that  of  the  eminent  actor  she  supported. 
She  took  her  benefit  on  the  3d  of  March  as  Jane  Shore 
and  Rose  Redland,  but  played  two  additional  nights,  — 
on  one  as  Elvii^a  and  the  other  as  Mathilde. 

The  remainder  of  the  month  of  March  she  played 
in  Baltimore,  but  probably  with  little  pecuniary  profit, 
judging  from  the  following  pitiful  letter  written  from 
there  to  Mrs.  Durang  in  Philadelphia. 

"  Dear  Madam,  —  I  trust  you  will  pardon  my  again 
troubhng  you,  but  Matilda  in  her  last  letter  again  for- 
got to  mention   her  place  of  abode.     I  addressed  a 


MRS.   DUFF.  123 

letter  to  her  last  week  which  is  not  answered ;  I  sup- 
pose it  yet  lies  in  the  office.  ]Mr.  Isherwood  run  off 
this  morning  in  every  one's  debt.  I  wish  to  return 
home  when  it  may  please  my  children  to  let  me  know 
where  that  home  is. 

"  Give  my  love  to  your  mother.  I  hope  you  and  the 
children  are  all  well.  That  they  may  bring  you  com- 
fort is  the  fervent  wish  of 

Your  friend,         Mary  Ann  Duff. 

"There  is  a  Young  person  here  who  has  had  the 
impudence  to  sit  in  the  front  of  the  house  and  look 
at  me.  M.  A.  D. 

"  Excuse  this  wretched  scrawl  as  I  am  both  ill  and 
troubled.     I  shall  be  with  Wemyss  next  winter." 

The  "  young  person  "  alluded  to  in  her  note  was 
doubtless  her  soi-disaiit  husband,  whom  ordinary  deli- 
cacy one  would  suppose  might  have  kept  from  obtrud- 
ing himself  so  conspicuously  upon  her. 

In  April  she  had  a  brief  engagement  at  Washington, 
D.  C,  and  in  July  played  several  nights  with  her  daugh- 
ter in  Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphia. 

The  fall  season  of  1834  commenced  in  Baltimore 
where  Mrs.  Duff  had  many  ardent  friends.  The  con- 
clusion of  her  engagement  there  was  honored  \vith  a 
complimentary  testimonial  on  the  8th  of  December, 
tendered  by  eminent  residents  of  the  city,  and  the  per- 
formances were  sustained  by  the  voluntary  aid  of  the 
companies  both  of  the  Front  Street  and  Holliday  Street 
theatres.  On  this  occasion  Mrs.  Duff  appeared  in  her 
two  most  popular  characters,  Madame  Clermont  and 


124 


MRS.   DUFF. 


Mat/iilde,  and  delivered  a  poetical  address  ^^Titten  for 
her  by  J.  H.  Hewitt,  Esq.  of  Baltimore. 

In  December  she  commenced  an  engagement  with 
Mr.  Wemyss  in  the  Walnut  Street  Theatre,  Philadel- 
phia, playing,  on  the  29th  of  the  month,  Tullia  to  the 
Brutus  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Oxley,  one  of  the  numerous 
meteoric  lights  then  glittering  in  the  theatrical  firma- 
ment, whose  attractive  brilliancy  was  soon  doomed  to 
be  dimmed  forever. 

1835. 

On  the  2d  of  January,  1835,  ^'^^  played  Mrs.  Haller 
to  his  Stranger,  and  on  the  9th  gave  her  charming 
personation  of  Calanthe  to  the  Damon  of  Mr.  A. 
Addams  and  the  Pythias  of  Mr.  Edmon  S.  Conner, 
who  then  made  his  first  appearance  in  his  native  city 
where  he  long  continued  to  be  greatly  liked.  The 
company  at  this  theatre,  if  not  entirely  of  the  highest 
order  of  merit,  was  an  exceedingly  popular  one,  com- 
prising among  its  members  many  notable  favorites  with 
the  audience,  —  Oxley,  Conner,  the  Seftons  (William 
and  John),  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Thorne,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  W.  Kent  (the  ladies  remarkable  for  personal 
beauty),  Mrs.  Frederick  Brown,  J.  Mills  Brown,  We- 
myss, W.  Jones,  J.  G.  Porter,  A.  W.  Jackson,  Mestayer, 
Thayer,  Alexina  Fisher,  Mrs.  Duff  and  Miss  Mary 
Duff,  with  the  celebrated  William  Barrymore  as  stage 
manager.  Mr.  Booth  frequently  appeared  here  as  a 
star,  as  did  Augustus  Addams,  who  now  stood  at  the 
summit  of  his  fame ;  and  when  Mrs.  Duff  gave  them 
her  support  her  name  was  still  announced  in  capitals 
as  large  as  theirs.     Her  beauty  of  face  may  have  some- 


MRS.   DUFF. 


125 


what  faded,  butter  dignity -af-persarr^rrd  skill  in  her 
art__had  not^  in  the  least  declined.  She  was  still  ad- 
mired and  applaucfedT'an'd  was  hr  every  way  worthy 
of  being  the  leading  tragedienne  of  any  theatre.  In 
February  and  early  in  March  she  played  Queen  Eliz- 
abeth (three  times),  Florinda,  Mrs.  Haller,  and  Queen 
Gertrude,  to  Booth's  Richard,  Pescara,  Strafiger,  and 
Hamlet.  March  9  she  performed  Lady  Macbeth  to 
A.  Addams's  Macbeth  for  her  benefit,  which  yielded 
her  one  hundred  and  fifty-one  dollars,  her  salary  being 
probably  still  only  thirty  dollars  per  week.  Booth  and 
Addams  combined  on  the  17th,  i8th,  and  19th,  when 
she  appeared  in  succession  as  Belvidera,  Portia,  and 
Constance  to  the  former's  Jaffier,  Cassius,'dJcvA  King 
John  and  the  latter's  Pie7're,  Brutus,  and  Faulcon- 
bridge.  She  also  played  Florinda  to  Booth's  Pes  car  a 
on  the  20th,  and  Queen  Elizabeth  to  his  Richard  on 
the  2ist,  his  remuneration  for  the  last  five  nights  being 
five  hundred  dollars  without  taking  a  benefit. 

On  the  occasion  of  Miss  Mary  Duffs  benefit,  April 
4,  Mrs.  Duff  for  the  first  and  only  time  appeared  as 
the  amiable  Mrs.  B?'omley  to  her  daughter's  Mrs. 
Simpson  in  the  popular  farce  of  "  Simpson  and  Co." 

On  April  1 3  she  was  again  in  Baltimore,  commencing 
v/ith  Adelgitha  and,  towards  the  close  of  the  month, 
playing  for  the  first  time  Elizabeth  in  "  The  Golden 
Farmer  "  to  De  Camp's  Harry  Hammer  and  Hada- 
way's  yemmy  Twitcher.  Returning  to  Philadelphia 
Mrs.  Duff  made  her  last  appearance  on  the  Chestnut 
Street  boards,  June  5,  for  the  benefit  of  Mrs.  W.  Jones 
in  the  character  of  Euge?iia  in  "  The  Foundling  of  the 


126  ^RS-   J^UFF. 

Forest."  She  also  played  for  Mr.  Philip  Warren's 
benefit  in  Walnut  Street,  June  23,  as  Emilia  to  her 
daughter's  Desdejnona,  Addams's  Othello,  Wood's  lago, 
and  Conner's  Cassio. — — 

The  autumn  ^C^835  found  her  engaged  to  Mr. 
Dinneforoof  the  new  little  Franklin  Theatre,  Chatham 
Square,  New  York,  where  she  made  her  first  appear- 
ance as  Mrs.  Haller  on  the  8th  of  September. 
\  Her  performances  were  commenced  under  the  hap- 
piest of  auspices  and  never  during  her  entire  career 
had  she  achieved  a  higher  artistic  succe-ss.-  The  house 
was  nightly  filled  to  overflowing,  and  though  not  the 
resort  of  fashion,  it  regularly  found  many  of  the  most 
intellectual  and  cultivated  of  New  York's  citizens  within 
its  walls.  All  were  spellbound  as  of  old.  Her  soul- 
subduing  voice  still  melted  the  hearts  of  tlie  sternest 
listeners,  and  caused  the  tears  of  sympathy  to  moisten 
many  a  man's  unwilling  cheek.  ^  borrow,  sickness,  and 
disappointment  had  not  quelled  the  fire  of  genius  ;  and 
in  queenliness  of  carriage,  grace  of  action,' purity  and 
force~~6T^T^p^lf^f»^^^<^r  «;w<^pt n et;^  ancL  naturalness^^oT 
colloquial  discourse,  the  withering  glance  of  scorn,  tlte 
crushing  tone  of  indignation,  the  appeal  of  tenderness, 
and  in  every  varying  emotion  of  the  soul  she  was  still 
the  pathetic,  powerful,  brilliant,  and  impassioned  actress 
whose  magnetic  quality  aroused  the  enthusiasm  of  her 
audiences  and  sustained  their  interest  in  her  characters 
unflagging  to  the  end.    '  ^    > 

Mrs.  I>u£Mblt6wed  her  first  performance  with  Elo- 
rimla,  Isabella^  Ailclgifha,  Calanthe,  Lady  Randolph 
(to  the  Young  Noi'val  of  Mrs.  Hamblin),  Lady  Priory 


MRS.   DUFF. 


127 


(to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blake's  Bronzcly  and  Miss  Doril- 
lofi),  Mrs.  Beverley  (to  Blake's  Gamester),  and  Eliza- 
beth in  "The  Golden  Farmer." 

All  were  perfect  specimens  of  art;  but  hejL-most 
glorious  triumph  was  in  Isabella,  which  she  repeated 
four  times,  and  in  which  it  would  seem  impossible  that 
she  could  ever  have  been  excelled.  \ 

In  "The  Golden  Farmer,"  first  performed  here 
October  5,  she  had  the  support  of  William  Sefton 
as  the  Farmer,  John  Sefton  as  J^emmy  Twitcher  (an 
inimitable  creation),  and  of  litde  Mary  Gannon  as  the 
child  Louisa,  —  the  last  to  become  at  Wallack's  Thea- 
tre in  after  times  the  most  favorite  comic  actress  of 
her  day. 

^ivirs.  UuH  tookTei-  benefit  on  the  23d  of  October 
in  Isabella,  and,  obtaining  a  brief  leave  of  absence, 
went  to  Philadelphia,  where,  at  Walnut  Street  on  the 
26th,  she  opened  in  the  same  favorite  character.  She 
played  Mrs.  Beverley  on  the  27th,  Jane  Shore  on  the 
28th,  and  for  her  benefit  on  the  29th  (which  was  her 
last  appearance  on  the  Philadelphia  stage)  Adelgitha 
and  Rose  Redla?id,  —  Mr.  Conner  being  her  support  as 
Biron,  Beverley,  Hastings  and  Alark  Redland.  The 
Philadelphia  Gazette  called  attention  to  her  benefit 
in  the  following  terms  :  — 

"Mrs.  Duff.  —  This  estimable  lady  and  excellent 
actress  takes  a  benefit  at  the  Walnut  Street  Theatre 
to-night,  at  the  close  of  a  very  successful  engagement. 
In  the  whole  range  of  the  profession  there  is  not  an 
individual  whose  claims  on  public  respect  and  sym- 
pathy have, precedence  to  hers.     To  enumerate  them 


128  MRS.  DUFF. 

would  be  tedious  and  altogether  unnecessary  in  a 
community  where  her  long  tried  services  and  domestic 
worth  are  so  well  known  )and  appreciated.  Let  her 
benefit  be  one  in  reality .j 

Mrs.  Dun  was  backm  New  York  on  the  2d  of 
November,  when  she  reappeared  at  the  Franklin  in 
"The  Golden  Farmer."  Her  succeeding  and  final 
characters  in  New  York  were  Afigela  in  "  The  Castle 
Spectre  ;  "  Lucy  Fairlove  to  Thayer's  Ambrose  Gwin- 
ett ;  Cahmthe,  Imogine,  Belvidera,  and  Desdetnona  to 
David  Ingersoll's  DamoJi,  Bertram,  baffler,  and 
Ot/iello ;  and  Fortia  to  the  Shylock  of  Mr.  Roy,  a 
Southern  tragedian. 

Mr.  Ingersoll  was  a  most  prepossessing  and  popular 
young  actor  of  the  highest  promise,  but  his  abilities 
were  rendered  worthless  by  his  unfortunate  habits 
which  finally  caused  his  early  death.  His  wife  was 
the  youngest  daughter  of  the  Philadelphia  comedian, 
Jefferson. 

On  the  27th  of  November  a  complimentary  benefit 
was  given  at  the  Bowery  Theatre  to  its  then  most 
favorite  comedian,  William  Gates.  Mrs.  Duff  was 
selected  to  deliver  the  poetical  address,  and  also  sus- 
tained the  character  of  Mrs.  Haller  in  the  last  two 
acts  of  "  The  Stranger,"  supported  by  Mr.  A.  Addams 
in  the  title  role.  The  receipts  on  this  occasion 
amounted  to  sixteen  hundred  dollars. 

On  the  30th  of  November,  for  the  benefit  of  John 
Sefton,  Mrs.  Duff  made  her  last  appearance  in  New 
York  as  Elizabeth  in  the  nineteenth  representation  of 
"The  Golden  Farmer."     Although  the  character  was 


MRS.   DUFF.  129 

an  affecting  one  it  was  short,  and  subordinate  to  the 
comic  element  of  the  piece,  which  was  wonderfully- 
embodied  in  the  ycvimy  Tivitchcr  of  Mr.  Sefton,  and 
which  proved  so  attractive  to  the  patrons  of  the  house 
that  Mrs.  Duff's  services  were  rendered  unnecessary, 
and  the  part  was  thereafter  given  to  a  secondary 
actress. 

The  performances  of  Mrs.  Duff  were  occasionally 
alluded  to  in  the  papers  of  the  day,  but  without,  any 
attempt  at  description  or  analysis.  jOne,  however,  said 
that  "  she  retained  all  the  vigor,  pathos,  and  energy 
that  characterized  her  earlier  efforts ;  "  and  another, 
that  "  she  fully  sustained  her  former  reputation  as  an 
actress."  j  On  the  occasion  of  a  wreath  being  thrown 
to  ner  on  the  stage  The  Herald  pertinently  remarked  : 
"  A  fig  for  wreaths  ;  send  her  bank  leaves." 

Mrs.  Duff  now  returned  to  her  desolated  home  in 
Philadelphia,  followed  by  an  admiring  suitor  to  whom 
she  soon  after  gave  her  hand.  The  gentleman  is 
alluded  to  in  the  following  letter  to  Mr.  Charles  Page, 
from  whom  in  her  distresses  she  had  obtained  a  loan 
of  money  on  pledge  of  personal  property.  This  letter 
is  now  in  possession  of  Mr.  Toedteberg  of  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  a  copy. 

"  December  10,  1835. 
"  Mr.  C.  Page  : 

"  Sir,  —  The  bearer  of  this,  Mr.  Seaver,  will  call  on 
you  for  the  purpose   of  making  an  arrangement  re- 
specting my  note,  which  by  reason  of  unexpected  ill 
health  I  cannot  make  it  quite  convenient  to  take  up 
9 


30 


MRS.   DUFF. 


for  a  little  time,  and  must  request  a  renewal  of  it  for 
such  further  time  as  Mr.  Seaver  may  agree  with  you. 

"  The  moneys  which  are  due  me  from  Mr.  J.  Jeffer- 
son,* which  you  had  the  collection  of,  you  will  please 
pay  over  to  Mr.  Seaver,  and  his  receipt  shall  be  your 
voucher  for  the  same, 

"It  would  much  please  me  if  it  would  suit  your  con- 
venience to  purchase  the  pianoforte  and  wardrobe 
case  which  you  have  in  your  possession,  and  allow 
me  what  they  are  reasonably  worth.  The  price  of  the 
piano  was  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  the  music 
stool  fifteen  dollars,  and  the  green  cloth  cover  twelve 
dollars ;  the  wardrobe  case  was  sixty-five  dollars,  — 
making  four  hundred  and  forty-two  dollars,  original 
cost,  and  the  articles  are  none  the  worse  for  wear. 

'•'  If  you  will  give  me  up  my  note  and  allow  me  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  money  you  may  have  the 
above  named  articles  and  conclude  the  arrangement 
with  Mr,  Seaver,  who  is  authorized  to  effect  the  sale  on 
such  terms  if  better  cannot  be  had, 

"  I  am  going  in  a  few  days  to  play  several  engage- 
ments at  the  South,  and  will  want  all  the  funds  I 
can  command  previous  to  my  departure,  which  is  the 
reason  of  my  desiring  the  arrangement  I  have  pro- 
posed. In  any  event  you  will  be  good  enough  to 
renew  my  note  as  desired,  and  pay  over  the  moneys 
collected  from  the  estate  of  Mr.  Jefferson  for  me  to 

*  Mr.  J.  Jefferson,  father  of  the  present  comedian,  for  sev- 
eral seasons  manager  of  the  theatre  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
ultimately  became  bankrupt,  and  it  was  probably  for  her  en- 
gagement there  in  1834  that  money  was  owing  Mrs,  Duff, 


MKS.   DUFF.  J3I 

Mr.  Seaver,  and  in  a  short  time  I  will  be  able  to  remit 
you  the  money  to  take  up  my  note.  Your  compliance 
with  my  request  will  much  oblige 

Yours,  with  due  respect, 

Mary  A,  Duff." 

1836, 

/\t  whaf^prerjsg^  Hate  the  marriage  between  Mr.' 
Seaver  and  Mrs.  Duff  took  place  has  not  been  ascer- 
tained ;  nor  is  it  known  whether  the  engagements 
alluded  to  in  the  preceding  letter  were  ever  fulfilled, 
save  one  at  Washington,  D.  C,  where  she  gave  her  last 
performances  in  January,  1836,  in  conjunction  with 
jVIr.  William  Abbott  from  Covent  Garden,  then  in 
the  first  flush  of  his  x\merican  popularity,  and  where 
she  took  her  farewell  benefit  on  the  ist  of  February 
in  the  characters  of  yaiie  Shore  and  Portia  to  Mr. 
Abbott's  Lord  Hastings  and  Shylock.  This  is  the 
last  record  discovered  of  her  appearance  on  the 
eastern  shore  of  our  continent.  Very  shortly  after 
this  Mr.  Seaver  took  his  bride  to  New  Orleans,  which 
for  nearly  twenty  years  was  their  usual  residence, 
and  where  the  gentleman  is  said  to  have  long  enjoyed 
a  prosperous  and  lucrative  law  practice  under  the  name 
of  Sevier,  by  which  more  Southern-sounding  appella- 
tion he  chose  thereafter  to  be  known.  —-"^ 

The  newly  wedded  wife  is  supposed  to  have  occa- 
sionally resumed  her  professional  efforts  under  her 
former  well  and  widely  known  name  ;  but  it  has  been 
impossible  to  trace  her  engagements  through  the  South- 
ern press,  and  the  first  official  announcement  of  her 


132 


MRS.   DUFF. 


reappearance  found  is  in  the  bills  of  the  St.  Louis 
Theatre,  one  of  which,  dated  Oct.  13,  1836,  bears  the 
following  heading :  — 

THE  CELEBRATED  AMERICAN  TRAGIC  ACTRESS, 
MRS.    DUFF! 

The  managers  have  great  pleasure  in  introducing 
this  lady  (who  stands  at  the  head  of  the  American 
stage)  to  the  St.  Louis  public ;  at  the  same  time  they 
cannot  but  regret  that  in  consequence  of  the  detention 
on  her  journey  her  engagement  must  now  be  limited 
to  three  nights  and  a  benefit.' 

Her  characters  here  were  Adelgitha,  Annette,  Isa- 
bella, and  (for  her  benefit)  Mrs.  Haller. 

The  names  of  the  company  generally  are  unfamil- 
iar to  Eastern  ears ;  but  Mr.  Ludlow,*  one  of  the 
managers,  was  an  admired  actor  of  genteel  and  light 
comedy,  and  the  other,  the  celebrated  Sol.  Smith,  was 
beyond  all  competition  the  leading  low  comedian  of 
the  West.  His  little  son  Marcus,  who  on  this  occasion 
played  the  Count's  child  in  "  The  Stranger,"  afterwards 
at  Wallack's  Theatre  became  one  of  New  York's  most 
prominent  favorites,  under  the  abbreviated  name  of 
Mark  Smith. 

*  Mr.  Ludlow,  in  his  lately  published  "  Dramatic  Life," 
speaks  of  Mrs.  Duff's  acting  as  "  refined  and  quiet  yet  power- 
ful ;  not  boisterous  but  forcible  ;  graceful  in  action,  and  digni- 
fied without  stiffness.  Her  great  personal  beauty,  added  to  her 
talent  and  amiable  qualities  as  a  lad)-,  endeared  her  to  all  hearts. 
In  Philadelphia  she  and  her  husband  were  frequently  spoken 
of  as  the  haJidsome  couple.  She  was  undoubtedly  the  best  tragic 
actress  in  the  United  States." 


MRS.   DUFF.  I-^-, 

1837. 

In  April  and  May,  1837,  Mrs.  Duff  was  playing  her 
celebrated  characters  at  the  American  Theatre,  New 
Orleans,  her  name  being  then  found  on  the  bills  as 
Isabella,  Mrs,  Hallcr,  Imagine,  Lady  Macbeth,  Portia, 
Belvidera,  jfane  Shore,  Victori?ie,  and  Elizabet/^  —  her 
principal  support  being  from  Mr.  Parsons,  the  celebra- 
ted preacher  or  actor  as  occasion  required. 

On  the  3d  of  June  at  the  St.  Charles  Theatre  for 
some  especial  benefit  she  appeared  in  the  farce  of 
"  Frightened  to  Death  "  in  the  character  of  Emily,  — 
Mrs.  Shaw  (afterwards  Mrs.  Hamblin)  playing  Corinna, 
and  Miss  Melton  (sister  of  the  late  Charles  M.  Wal- 
cot)  Fatty,  a  most  singular  and  extraordinary  combi- 
nation in  such  a  piece. 

1838. 

No  record  of  her  subsequent  appearance  has  been 
found  until  April  21,  1838,  when,  at  the  St.  Charles 
Theatre,  it  was  announced  that,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Orphan  Boys'  Asylum  of  New  Orleans,  Mrs.  Duff  had 
in  the  kindest  manner  volunteered  her  services  to  per- 
form the  part  of  Eugenia  in  "  The  Foundling  of  the 
Forest." 

This  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  her  final 
appearance  on  the  stage,  but  at  the  same  theatre  on 
the  30th  of  May  she  was  announced  as  Florinda  in 
"The  Apostate,"  to  the  Pescara  of  Mr.  H.  G.  Pear- 
son, a  young  artist  of  merit,  for  the  benefit  of  Mrs. 
Plumer,  which  probably  was  in  fact  her  last  theatrical 
appearance.    , 


134  '  '^^■^'^-  ^^''^^■ 


1839-1853. 


/  Her  public  life  may  be  said  to  have  ended  here, 
but  only  in  one  sense  ;  for,  although__she  had  retired 
from  the  mimic  stage,  a  broader  field  of  action  now 
'opened  orT^KSi'  view,  and  to  its  holier  duties  she  de- 
voted the  remainder  of  her  days.  Renouncing  the 
Catholic  faith  in  which  she  had  been  born  and  edu- 
cated, s|;ie  entered  with  an  earnest  zeal  the  humbler 
communion"^ "the  Methodist  Church.  She  took  an 
active  part  in  its  Sabbath  School  teachings,  joined  the 
Temperance  Society,  and  was  a  distributer  of  religious 
tracts  as  well  as  an  earnest  and  eloquent  supplicant  in 
the  frequent  meetings  for  prayer.  She  soon  became 
noted  for  her  deeds  of  charity  and  mercy,  for  her 
loving,  gentle  spirit  (which  indeed  she  had  always  dis- 
played during  the  proudest  periods  of  her  theatrical 
career),  for  her  persuasive  entreaties  to  the  sinning, 
her  eloquent  exhortations  to  the  repentant,  and  her 
kindly  ministrations  to  the  sick  and  suffering. 

In  the  Northern  States  her  society  had  been  courted 
by  the  most  cultivated  classes  ;  in  New  Orleans  she 
was  the  centre  of  a  religious  circle,  from  whom  the 
bounty  of  her  hand  and  the  comfort  of  her  prayers 
were  never  withheld.  She  avoided  j^layers  and  pla}^- 
houses,  and  seemingly  strove  to  forget  that  she  had 
ever  been  among  them.  Her  husband,  it  was  said, 
idolized  her  and  furnished  her  with  every  facility  for 
gratifying  her  generous  inclinations.  Whatever  may 
have  been  Mr.  Seaver's  character,  or  however  differ- 
ent from  her  in  various  points,  they  were  for  many 


AIRS.   DUFF. 


135 


years,  it  is  believed,  the  happiest  of  couples,  and  his 
only  aim  was  to  provide  her  with  every  comfort  and 
luxury  within  his  power.  They  occasionally  visited 
the  Northern  and  Middle  States,  but  Mrs.  Seaver's 
associations  with  the  stage  were  broken,  and  her  re- 
tiring habits  prevented  her  from  renewing  her  inter- 
course with  her  old  companions  and  fellow-players. 
In  her  halcyon  days  she  ever  shunned,  when  possible, 
miscellaneous  or  general  society,  as  may  be  seen  from 
the  following  note  from  Mrs.  Charles  Durang  of  Phil- 
adelphia, relative  to  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff:  "Mr. 
Duff  was  a  pohshed,  intelligent  gentleman,  and  much 
sought  for  by  society  from  which  Mrs.  Duff  shrank. 
....  Any  lady  in  the  theatrical  profession  who  has  a 
young  family  to  attend  to  cannot  indulge  in  fashionable 
society  where  etiquette  has  to  be  observed,  but  all 
admired  her  as  a  model  for  mothers  as  well  as  a 
superior  and  enchanting  actress." 

This  is  confirmed  by  a  communication  from  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Fisher  (once  the  distinguished  Mrs.  Richard- 
son of  the  old  Park  Theatre,  and  daughter  of  the 
renowned  comedian  of  Philadelphia,  the  elder  Jeffer- 
son) who  says  that  beyond  an  annual  visit  to  her 
mother  she  never  knew  of  Mrs.  Duff  associating  with 
any  other  family  in  Philadelphia. 

In  one  of  Mrs.  Seaver's  later  visits  to  Baltimore  she 
addressed  the  following  letter  to  her  son  Thomas,  for 
many  years  an  actor  in  New  York  and  elsewhere,  and 
now  practising  law  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  who  was  then 
engaged  at  the  theatre  in  Richmond,  Virginia. 


36 


MRS.   DUFF. 


"Baltimore,  November  13,  1850. 

"  My  dear  Child,  —  The  arrival  of  your  letter  this 
morning  removed  the  anxiety  I  had  felt  for  some  days 
lest  illness  prevented  your  ^vriting.  I  am  much  pleased 
on  account  of  your  favorable  reception. 

"  You  mention,  my  dear,  that  M has  not  been  as 

well  as  you  could  wish Tell  her  I  am  more  than 

pleased  that  she  regards  me  as  if  I  were  indeed  her 
mother,  and  if 'nothing  occurs  to  hinder  the  kind  in- 
tention of  my  husband,  the  spring  will  place  us  in  a 
situation  where  I  can  prove  myself  a  mother  to  her. 

"  Beheve  me,  my  dear  son,  your  absence  is  as  painful 
to  me  as  to  yourself,  but  I  am  comforted  in  some 
trifling  preparations  for  a  litde  darling  whom  grandpapa 
says  I  will  spoil ;  however,  if  he  does  with  the  expected 
pet  as  with  the  others,  the  spoiling  will  be  quite  as 
much  his  as  mine.  He  leaves  in  a  few  days  and  will 
call  to  see  you.  He  presents  his  affectionate  regards 
to  both.  Write  soon,  my  dear  child,  and  be  assured 
that  your  spiritual  and  temporal  good  is  the  fond  wish 
and  fervent  prayer  of 

Your  affectionate  mother, 

Mary  x\nn  Seaver." 

Alienated  as  she  was  from  the  profession,  it  would 
seem  that  she  had  not  lost  her  entire  interest  in  it,  for 
she  here  expresses  her  pleasure  at  the  kind  reception  her 
son  had  met  with  from  the  Richmond  audience. 

The  retiring  character  of  Mrs.  DufPs  nature  might 
perhaps  be  inferred  from  the  following  "  Impromptu  to 
a  Wild  Violet,"  which  she  wrote  at  New  Orleans  in 


MRS.    DUFF. 


137 


June,  1852.  It  is  not  presented  as  a  specimen  of 
poetical  excellence,  but  as  an  illustration  of  the  delicate 
and  melancholy  tenderness  of  her  sentiments. 

"  Beautiful  violet,  child  of  the  shade, 
O  that,  like  thee,  I  had  been  made 
To  dwell  in  some  secluded  glade, 
And  there  unseen  to  bloom  and  fade. 

0  how  I  love  the  forest  wild, 
Where  the  wood-dove,  cooing  mild, 
Mourns  no  lost  nor  absent  child. 
She,  with  her  brood  and  loving  mate, 
Is  more  blest  than  queenly  state 
Ever  made  woman  whose  fond  heart 
Is  forced  from  all  she  loves  to  part. 

1  know  one  doomed  to  bear  such  wound 
As  each  succeeding  year  came  round ; 

She  lives,  if  breath  gives  life,  seems  cold,  is  proud, 
Nor  speaks  her  many  griefs  and  wrongs  aloud." 

The  personal  sorrows  of  Mrs.  Seaver  were  many  and 
severe  at  this  time.  Her  two  elder  sons  and  her  second 
daughter,  Eliza,  (Mrs.  Von  Leer),  had  recently  died, 
and  her  daughter  Mary,  who  had  made  a  most  unfortu- 
nate marital  alliance  which  brought  great  anguish  to  her 
mother's  heart,  soon  also  sunk  into  the  grave.* 

*  Mrs.  Duff  was  the  mother  of  jten  children,  seven  of  whom, 
four  sons  and  three  daughters,  reached  maturity.  Mary,  the 
eldest  (successively  Mrs.  A.  Addams  and  Mrs.  J.  G.  Porter) 
possessed  great  personal  beauty,  and  in  early  life  was  a  very 
spirited  and  charming  actress.  She  died  at  Memphis,  Tennes- 
see, in  1852,  at  the  age  of  forty-t\\'o. 

Eliza,  the  second  daughter,  attempted  the  stage  with  very 
slight  success.  She  married  Mr.  Isaac  Von  Leer  and  died 
young,  leaving  infant  children. 

James  Lenville  Duff,  the  eldest  son,  a  remarkably  handsome 


38 


MRS.   DUFF. 


In  addition  to  her  benevolent  and  religious  occupa- 
tions she  sought  to  soothe_thg_sadn€ss  of  her  soul  by 
employing  her  idle  hours  in  hterajry  pursuits,  and  at 
her  death  left  many  manuscripts,  —  prayers  and  little 
poems  for  her  children  and  grandchildren,  numerous 
letters,  comments  on  passages  of  Scripture,  an  elaborate 
disquisition  on  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  a  rehgious  novel 
said  to  possess  great  interest.  From  numerous  scraps 
in  this  collection  it  would  seem  that  other  troubles, 
real  or  imagined,  disturbed  her  mind.  One  headed 
"  On  the  Prospect  of  being  Homeless  "  reads  thus  :  — 

"  Grant  me  a  hut  near  pastures  green 
Where  limpid  waters  bless  the  scene, 
That  I  my  mortal  thirst  may  slake 
At  morning-tide  when  I  awake  ; 
But  let  thy  house,  O  God,  be  near, 
That  I  the  word  of  truth  may  hear, 
And,  free  from  earthly  care  and  strife, 
Drink  the  glad  waters  of  eternal  life." 

During  Mrs.  Seaver's  residence  in  New  Orleans  her 
old  friend  James    Rees    of  Philadelphia   once   called 

man,  was  in  the  profession  principally  at  the  West.  He  died 
unmarried  at  the  age  of  thirty. 

Thomas  Thatcher  Duff  was  also  noted  for  his  fine  personal 
appearance,  and  at  one  time  occupied  a  creditable  position  on 
the  stage  of  the  old  Broadway  Theatre,  New  York.  He  has 
been  well  known  in  different  theatres  of  the  country  both  as 
actor  and  manager.  He  left  the  stage  several  years  ago,  and 
is  now  practising  law  at  Quincy,  Illinois. 

Her  daughter  Matilda  and  her  sons  John  and  William  are 
not  known  to  have  ever  trod  the  stage. 

Thomas  Duff  is  the  sole  survivor  of  his  mother's  children, 
but  there  are  several  living  descendants  in  the  second  and  third 
generations. 


MRS.   DUFF. 


39 


upon  her,  —  a  visit  which  he  has  thus  described  :  "  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Seaver  resided  in  a  neat  cottage  situated  on 
Canal  Street.  It  was  handsomely  furnished,  and  all 
its  surroundings  bore  evidence  of  the  taste  and  judg- 
ment of  its  owners.  I  had  a  most  interesting  tetc-d'-tete 
with  the  distinguished  lady.  She  had  become  religious, 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  the  even- 
ing previous  to  our  interview  had  exhorted  at  one  of 
its  class  meetings.  A  spirit  of  holy  calm  rested  upon 
her  features ;  a  smile  as  if  from  heaven,  rather  than  of 
earthly  ^owth,  lit  them  up  with  a  sort  of  supernatural 
glow.  As  we  gazed  upon  them  we  thought  of  the  time 
when  they  were  worked  up  by  the  frenzied  passions  of 
the  characters  of  her  once  glorious  art,  when  as  Isa- 
bella or  Lady  Macbeth  she  drew  down  rounds  of 
applause  from  her  excited  audiences,  making  the  w^lls 
of  "Old  Drury "  *  shake  to  their  very  centre.  She 
now  sat  in  her  soft  cushioned  chair,  not  in  the  robes 
which  at  one  time  m.ade  her  look  every  inch  a  queen, 
but  in  the  simple  garb  of  a  lady,  one  no  longer  of  the 
world,  worldly,  but  with  the  calm  quiet  dignity  of  a 
follower  of  Jesus,  conscious  of  her  usefulness  here  and 
of  its  reward  in  the  great  future.  ...  In  our  conversa- 
tion we  alluded  to  William  B.  Wood,  and  the  theatres 
of  the  period  in  which  Mrs.  Duff  was  the  ruling  star. 
Closely  we  watched  her  countenance.  Her  eyes  bright- 
ened, and  the  soul  which  had  long  lain  dormant  and 
at  peace  seemed  for  a  moment  aroused.  The  actress 
was  herself  again,  and  the  scenes  of  the  past,  her  days 

*  The  Park  Theatre,  New  York,  and  the  Chestnut  Street 
Theatre,  Philadelphia,  were  each  known  as  "  Old  Drury." 


140 


MRS.   DUFF. 


of  triumph,  were  all  gone  over,  but  more  like  the  recital 
of  a  dream  than  the  relation  of  a  once  mighty  reality. 
It  was  however  but  a  flash  of  the  former  glow  of  genius. 
'  'T  is  past  now  '  she  said  ;  ^  that  was  my  worldly  life  : 
the  present,  and  I  hope  the  future,  my  heavenly  life  ! ' " 

1854- 1857. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seaver  continued  to  live  in  New 
Orleans  until  the  shadow  of  a  heavy  cloud  settled  over 
their  mutual  happiness,  and  until  his  political  opinions 
rendered  him  unpopular  there.  In  1854  they  left  the 
city  ostensibly  for  Texas. 

Whether  they  ever  reached  the  land  of  the  Lone  Star 
or,  if  so,  how  long  they  remained  there,  has  never  been 
disclosed,  but  for  twenty  years  thereafter  no  trace  of 
Mrs.  Seaver's  existence  and  no  certainty  of  her  decease 
could  be  discovered  by  her  old  friends.  At  length,  in 
response  to  numerous  and  closely  pressed  inquiries,  it 
transpired  that  not  long  after  her  departure  from  New 
Orleans  she  had  arrived  in  New  York  in  declining 
health  and  taken  up  her  abode  in  the  house  of  her 
youngest  daughter,  Madame  Reillieux.  There  she 
was  only  known  as  an  earnest  Christian  who  devoted 
her  hfe  to  acts  of  charity  and  goodness ;  and  the  bril- 
liant company  often  assembled  little  dreamed  that  the 
calm  and  quiet  lady  in  a  sober- colored  silken  gown 
and  a  simple  cambric  cap,  whom  they  sometimes  met, 
was  the  former  fascinating  actress  whose  wonderful  art- 
witchery  could  once  control  the  feelings  and  command 
the  enthusiastic  plaudits  of  every  audience. 

Mrs.  Seaver  was  here  soon  called  to  mourn  the  loss 


>f^- 


MRS.   DUFF. 


141 


of  this  favorite  and  last  surviving  daughter,  and,  after 
long  and  acute  suffering  from  an  internal  cancer,  was 
herself  seized  with  a  hemorrhage  which  resulted  in  her 
death  on  the  5th  of  September,  1857,  in  the  sixty-third 
year  of  her  age. 

From  that  time  until  1874  her  grave  was  unknown  to 
the  world  and  to  all  her  living  colaborers  of  the  stage. 
The  secret  of  her  life  and  death  was  so  well  kept  that 
even  her  nearest  relatives,  residing  out  of  New  York, 
were  unable  to  name  the  time  or  place  of  her  decease. 
Interred  with  her  beloved  daughter  in  a  single  nameless 
grave  in  Greenwood,  none  imagined,  as  they  came  upon 
it,  that  the  greatest  and  grandest  actress  of  her  day  was 
sleeping  beneath  that  lowly  humble  stone  bearing  the 
simple  inscription  Mother  and  Grandmother  ! 

"  'Tis  not  in  mortals  to  command  success,"  but  Mrs.  ' 
Duff  did  more,  —  she  well  deserved  it  and,  in  an  artistic 
if  not  in  a  pecuniary  sense,  fully  achieved   it.      Her 
supremacy  of  intellectual  ability  and  wealth  of  personal 
endowments,  her  clear   conception    of  character  and 
extraordinary  executive  facility,  were   freely  and   uni- 
versally admitted  to  be  beyond    all  contemporaneous 
competition.     Her   exgujsite^  taste  and  classical  cor-^^^^^ 
rectness    in    costume    also   won  unlimited  admiration,      J  r  i 
and   her   dresses    were    frequently   recommended    to     / 
the   belles   of  her   time  as    models  of  elegance    and   ' 
propriety. 

Many  reasons  have  been  assigned  for  the  compara- 
tive neglect  she  experienced   in  her  profession,  even 


142  MRS.   DUFF. 

while  she  was  acknowledged  and  proclaimed  by  all 
American  critics  to  be  the  first  actress  of  her  time. 

In  Boston  and  Philadelphia  she  had  become  familiar 
to  the  audiences  long  before  she  became  highly  dis- 
tinguished and  the  general  public  of  both  cities  had  a 
stronger  craving  for  novelty  than  for  excellence.  In 
New  York,  although  the  desire  for  novelty  was  equally 
strong,  dramatic  aspirants  in  her  day  must  bear  the 
stamp  of  foreign  approval  ere  they  could  be  cordially 
welcomed  to  its  boards ;  and  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  theatre-going  population  then  did  not  amount 
to  much  more  than  one  eighth  of  its  present  number. 
It  may  also  be  suspected  that  her  art  was  almost  too 
perfect  to  be  pleasing  to  persons  of  quick  sensibility, 
ardent  sympathy,  and  tender  feelings,  and  that  the 
anguish  she  so  closely  simulated  was  by  many  found 
too  painful  to  be  endured.  They  extolled  as  unap- 
proachable but  avoided  seeing  what  they  really  shud- 
dered to  behold. 

A  lady  of  Boston,  widow  of  a  distinguished  litterateur, 
writes  that  she  was  always  impressed  with  the  idea  that 
Mrs.  Duff  must  have  endured  great  sorrows  in  her 
private  life,  or  she  never  could  have  been  so  great  in 
her  sphere,  and  that  she  was  perfect  in  every  tragic 
character  she  undertook. 

Popular  favor  has  always  been  noted  for  its  fickle- 
ness, and  when  curiosity  had  once  been  fully  gratified, 
litde  attention  was  paid  in  those  times  to  the  encourage- 
ment or  reward  of  the  highest  talent.  Most  of  our 
greatest  players  have  experienced  the  ebb  as  well  as 
the  flow  of  public   patronage,  and   some   who  once 


MRS.   DUFF. 


143 


claimed  the  highest  honors  and  emoluments  of  stars 
have  been  glad  to  obtain  any  position  in  a  theatre  by 
which  they  could  earn  their  daily  bread.  Fortune 
made  Edwin  Forrest  independent  of  the  stage,  but  the 
cruelly  empty  houses  that  frowned  on  his  last  public 
efforts  must  have  cut  him  to  the  soul.* 

*  Even  as  early  as  1833  ^^r-  Forrest,  who  sometimes  drew 
eighteen  hundred  dollars  per  night  at  the  Park  Theatre,  New 
York,  played  an  engagement  there  to  an  average  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-seven  and  a  benefit  of  four  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  ;  and  another  in  1840,  ten  nights  of  which  did  not  reach 
three  hundred  dollars  ;  and  five  others  were  less  than  four  hun- 
dred dollars  per  night,  —  one  being  as  low  as  one  hundred  and 
sixty-three.  In  1842  he  was  forced  to  play  at  the  National 
Chatham  Theatre,  N.  Y.,  with  reserved  seats  at  fifty  cents  each. 
Madame  Celeste,  who  was  one  of  the  most  attractive  stars  ever 
known  here,  played  and  danced  at  the  Park  in  1839,  sixteen 
nights,  to  an  average  of  two  hundred  and  eighty-three  dollars, 
two  benefits  included.  Mr.  Vandenhoff  (the  elder)  and  his 
daughter,  sterling  and  popular  artists,  in  March,  1840,  at  the 
Park  Theatre,  drew  for  nine  nights  an  average  of  only  one 
hundred  and  eighty-two  dollars,  their  benefits  being  five  hun- 
dred and  twenty-seven  and  five  hundred  and  sixty-seven  dol- 
lars in  addition.  Mr.  Hackett  in  March,  1841,  played  five 
nights  to  an  average  of  one  hundred  and  ten,  benefit  included ; 
and  Mrs.  Maeder  who,  when  Clara  Fisher,  could  command 
fifteen  hundred  dollar  houses,  played  many  nights  in  1841  to 
less  than  one  hundred.  Miss  Cushman,  on  the  occasion  of  her 
greatest  hit  in  the  character  of  Nancy  Sikes,  at  the  Park  Theatre 
in  1839,  for  the  first  sixteen  performances  drew  average  houses 
of  only  one  hundred  and  ninety-six,  the  largest  receipts  on  any 
one  night  being  two  hundred  and  eighty-four.  Her  benefit  on 
the  15th  of  March,  1840,  when  she  played  Lady  Teazle,  drew 
only  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  dollars,  about  half  the  expenses 
of  the  night. 


144 


MRS.   DUFF. 


Mrs.  Duff  unfortunately  was  not  a  business  woman. 
She  knew  not  how  to  turn  circumstances  to  her  own 
advantage,  but  allowed  herself  to  be  governed  and  con- 
trolled by  them.  Nor  did  she  practise  those  little 
politic  arts  so  frequently  found  of  service  in  advancing 
one's  pecuniary  interest.  She  did  not  seem  to  be 
aware  of  the  professional  importance  of  influential  per- 
sonal friends.  Unambitious  of  social  distinction,  she 
never  courted  the  acquaintance  of  the  wealthy  and 
fashionable  whose  patronage  would  have  been  the 
sure  means  of  attracting  numerous  ready  followers. 
She  rehed  solely  on  her  own  wonderful  professional 
powers  as  the  means  of  pecuniary  success.  She  is  said 
not  to  have  appreciated  her  own  value,  and  by  accept- 
ing engagements  at  minor  theatres  and  at  a  small 
salary  to  have  lessened  her  theatrical  repute.  More- 
over it  is  felt  that  she  was  too  constantly  before  the 
public  during  each  season  at  one  place.  All  this  was 
probably  true ;  but  the  claims  of  her  family  rendered 
an  engagement  always  a  necessity,  and  the  youth  of  its 
numerous  members  required  her  to  forego  frequent 
changes  of  locality.  Her  managers  however  knew  (if 
she  did  not)  the  importance  of  her  services,  for  they 
always  announced  her  in  glowing  terms  and  giant  types, 
and  never  allowed  her  to  sink  from  her  high  position 
into  a  lower  line  of  business. 

The  public  imagined  it  could  see  Mrs.  Duff  at  any 
time ;  and  hence,  so  far  as  she  was  concerned,  arose 
that  unjustifiable  apathy  which  frequently  attends  the 
progress  of  those  with  whom  we  are  most  familiar,  — 
because  they  are  familiar  to  us  and  not  because  their 


MRS.   DUFF. 


145 


superior  merit  is  not  fully  discerned  or  appreciated. 
In  New  York  many  of  her  admirers  constantly  deferred 
a  visit  to  her  performances  till  she  should  be  re-engaged 
at  the  Park  Theatre,  or  until  a  more  favorable  oppor- 
tunity arrived,  neither  of  which  events  ever  happened 
to  occur.  Long  after  her  marriage  and  retirement 
there  were  those  who  were  steadily  looking  for  her 
return  to  the  Metropolitan  stage,  and  frequent  regrets 
were  expressed  that  previously  available  occasions  to 
study  her  strikingly  wonderful  delineations  had  not 
been  seized. 

Farewell  engagements  and  farewell  benefits  were  not 
then  advertised  to  create  a  factitious  excitement.  Had 
Mrs.  Duff  however  announced  a  series  of  performances 
as  her  last  upon  the  stage,  there  can  be  little  doubt, 
judging  from  the  furor  her  almost  unadvertised  and 
critically  unnoticed  last  appearances  in  a  little  theatre 
did  create,  that  even  in  New  York  she  would  have 
been  gratified  by  the  attendance  of  a  succession  of 
brilliant  audiences  and  perhaps  a  flattering  farewell 
demonstration.  But  such  was  not  to  be  her  destiny. 
Her  engagements  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia  were 
probably  not  intended  to  be  her  last,  for  she  was  still 
comparatively  young.  Time  had  not  dimmed  her 
intellectual  brightness,  age  had  not  withered  nor  cus- 
tom staled  her  infinite  variety  of  tragical  expression ; 
and  many  busy  years  could  yet  have  been  numbered 
before  she  was  to  reach  an  age  when  her  nominal  rival, 
Mrs.  Barnes,  or  her  eminent  successors,  Fanny  Kemble, 
Ellen  Tree,  or  Charlotte  Cushman,  deemed  it  advisable 
for  them  to  seek  the  quiet  pleasures  of  domestic  retire- 


a6 


MRS.   DUFI' 


ment.  But  the  hopes  and  aspirations  of  the  new 
religious  life  to  which  her  latter  days  seemed  especially 
attuned,  and  were  so  steadfastly  devoted,  suddenly 
removed  her  to  a  different  sphere,  where  alone  she 
found  peace  and  joy,  and  which  allowed  no  vain  regrets 
for  triumphs  she  might  still  have  won  on  the  mimic 
stage. 

Her  lengthened  absence  from  the  boards  of  which 
she  was  so  long  the  pride  and  glory,  and  the  honors 
since  paid  to  many  a  brilliant  and  successful  star,  should 
not  cause  us  to  forget  the  unparalleled  estimation  in 
which  she  was  once  held,  nor  be  permitted  to  dim  in 
the  slightest  degree  the  lustre  of  the  crown  that  long 
graced  her  brow,  as  the  legitkoate.  and-imdisputed 
Queen  of  the  American  Stage. 


APPENDIX    L 


A   LIST   OF   CHARACTERS    PERFORMED 
BY   MRS.    DUFF. 


Adela She  Would  be  a  Soldier. 

Adelgitha Adelgitha. 

Adeline Adeline. 

Agatha  Friberg Lovers'  Vows. 

Aladdin Aladdin, 

Alexina The  Exile. 

Alexina Tekeli. 

Almeida Black  Beard. 

Almeyda The  Renegade. 

Amazaide  . Zembucca. 

Amelia The  Robbers. 

Amelia Incog. 

Amelia  St.  Germain The  Fate  of  a  Gamester. 

Angela The  Castle  Spectre. 

Angelina Love  Makes  a  Man. 

Annabel Julian. 

Annabel The  Man  of  Ten  Thousand. 

Annette Maid  and  Magpie. 

Annette Blue  Devils. 

Arabella More  Ways  than  One. 

Bellamira Bellamira. 

Belvidera Venice  Preserved. 

Bertha The  Point  of  Honor. 

Blanche The  Iron  Chest. 


48 


APPENDIX. 


Countess  Adela The  Warlock  of  the  Glen. 

Coimtess  Loz>elaiigh Rochester. 

Countess  Rosalvina The  Devil's  Bridge. 

Calanthe Damon  and  Pythias. 

Caroline  Dormer The  Heir-at-Law. 

Caroline  Heartly The  Boarding  House. 

Celestine The  Fortress. 

Cephania The  Ethiop. 

Charlotte Love  a  la  Mode. 

Charlotte The  Gamester. 

Charlotte Werter. 

Charlotte  Riisport The  West  Indian. 

Christine Tekeli. 

Cicely  Homespun The  Heir-at-Law. 

Cinderella Cinderella  (Pantomime). 

Clara  de  Clare M  arm  ion. 

Clari The  Maid  of  Milan. 

Claudia Rienzi. 

Claiidine The  Miller  and  his  Men. 

Constantia The  Man  of  the  World. 

Cora Columbus. 

Cora Pizarro. 

Cordelia King  Lear. 

Crazy  Bet Brier  Cliff. 

Crazy  Nab The  Cradle  of  Liberty. 

Desdemona Othello. 

Do7ina  Angelica The  Students  of  Salamanca. 

Donna  Leonora The  Duel. 

Donna  Teresa Remorse. 

Domia  Victoria A  Bold  Stroke  for  a  Hus- 
band. 

Edmond The  Blind  Boy. 

Eliza  Ratcliff The  Jew. 

Elizabeth The  Golden  Farmer. 

Elizabeth Mazeppa. 

Elizene ••  The  Forest  of  Hermanstadt. 

Ella  Rosenberg Ella  Rosenberg. 


APPENDIX.  I^g 

Ellen  Douglas The  Knight  of  Snowdouru 

Ellen  Dotiglas The  Lady  of  the  Lake. 

Ellen  Enfield The  Falls  of  Clyde. 

Ellen  Meredith The  Gazette  Extraordinary. 

Ellen  Vortex      .......  A  Cure  for  the  Heartache. 

Elspat  McTavish The  Highland  Widow. 

Elvira Pizarro. 

Elvira Bunker  Hill. 

Emilia Othello. 

Emily Laugh  When  You  Can. 

Emily Frightened  to  Death. 

Emily  Worthington The  Poor  Gentleman. 

Emma William  Tell. 

Ejnma  Somerton Too  Late  for  Dinner. 

Empress  Elizabeth The  Exile. 

Eugenia The  Foundling  of  the  Forest. 

Evadne Evadne. 

Fanny The  Clandestine  Marriage. 

Fanny Who  Wants  a  Guinea  ? 

Floranthe The  Mountaineers. 

Florence The  Curfew. 

Florinda The  Apostate. 

Frances  Wharton The  Spy. 

Georgiana Folly  as  it  Flies. 

Geraldine The  Foundling  of  the  Forest. 

Grace  Gaylove The  Review. 

Helen  Macgregor Rob  Roy. 

Helen  Mar Wallace. 

Helena  di  Rosalvi The  Hunter  of  the  Alps. 

Hermione The  Distrest  Mother. 

Immalee Melmoth  the  Wanderer. 

Imogine Bertram. 

Jjtnogen Adelemorn  the  Outlaw. 

Irene Blue  Beard. 

Irene Barbarossa. 

Isabella Isabella. 

Isabella The  House  of  Aspen. 


j^O  APPENDIX. 

Isabella The  Wonder. 

Jane Tom  and  Jerry. 

Jane  Shore Jane  Shore. 

Jeanie  Deans The  Heart  of  Mid  Lothian. 

Jessy  Oatland A  Cure  for  the  Heartache. 

Jessy  Willis Debtor  and  Creditor. 

Julia The  Rivals. 

Julia  Cleveland The  Votary  of  Wealth. 

Julia  Faulkner The  Way  to  get  Married. 

Julia  Tarragon The  School  of  Reform. 

Juliajia The  Honeymoon. 

Jidiet Romeo  and  Juliet. 

Julio Deaf  and  Dumb. 

Katherine Katherine  and  Petruchio. 

Lady  Amaranth Wild  Oats. 

Lady  Anne Richard  HI. 

Lady  Constance King  John. 

Lady  Cranberry Exchange  no  Robbery. 

Lady  Elinor  L-win Every  One  Has  His  Fault. 

Lady  Elizabeth  Freelove  ....  The  Day  after  the  Wedding. 

Lady  Frances  Touchwood    .     .     .  The  Belle's  Stratagem. 

Lady  Grace The  Provoked  Husband. 

Lady  Jane Know  Your  Own  Mind. 

Lady  Lucretia Ladies  at  Home. 

Lady  Macbeth Macbeth. 

Lady  Margaret The  Vampire. 

Lady  Melmoth Folly  as  it  Flies. 

Lady  Percy Henry  IV. 

Lady  Priory Wives  as  they  Were. 

Lady  Randolph Douglas. 

Lady  Rodolpha The  Man  of  the  World. 

Lady  Squander The  Green  Man. 

Lady  Traffic Riches. 

Lady  Truemati The  Drummer. 

Leonora The  Revenge. 

Lissette The  Sergeant's  Wife. 

Louisa The  Duenna. 


APPENDIX.  I  ^  I 

Louisa  Dudley The  West  Indian. 

Lucy  Ashton The  Bride  of  Lammermoor. 

Lucy  Bertram Guy  Manner ing. 

Lucy  FairlcrJe Ambrose  Gwinett. 

Lyieushee  Lovell Lyieushee  Lovell. 

Madame  Clermont Adrian  and  Orilla. 

Madame  D'Anglade Accusation. 

Mrs.  Beverley The  Gamester. 

Mrs.  Bromley Simpson  and  Co. 

Mrs.  Cornflower The  Farmer's  Wife. 

Mrs.  Ferment The  School  of  Reform. 

Mrs.  Fitzedward Sons  of  Erin. 

Mrs.  Greville Secrets  Worth  Knowing. 

Mrs.  Haller The  Stranger. 

Mrs.  Malfort The  Soldier's  Daughter. 

Mrs.  Mortimer Laugh  When  You  Can. 

Mrs.  Woodville The  Wheel  of  Fortune. 

Miss  Blandford Speed  the  Plough. 

Miss  Hardcastle She  Stoops  to  Conquer. 

Malvina Oscar  and  Malvina. 

Maria George  Barnwell. 

Maria The  School  for  Scandal. 

Marianjte The  Dramatist. 

Mary The  Innkeeper's  Daughter. 

JUary Superstition. 

^Mary Will  Watch. 

Alary  Glastonbury Mary  Glastonbury. 

Mary  Stuart Mary  Stuart. 

Mary  Thornberry John  Bull. 

Mathilde The  Bohemian  Mother. 

Matilda The  Curfew. 

Matilda Edgar. 

Meg  Merrilies Guy  Mannering. 

Mhtna  Troil The  Pirate. 

Miranda The  Busy  Body. 

Miranda The  Tempest. 

Morgiana The  Forty  Thieves. 


152 


APPENDIX. 


Myrtillo The  Broken  Sword. 

Nahmeokee Metamora. 

Narramattah Miantonimoh. 

Nelti Columbus. 

Olympia Ugolino. 

Ophelia Hamlet. 

Orasmyn The  Ethiop. 

Oriana The  Conquest  of  Taranto. 

Orilla Adrian  and  Orilla. 

Portia Julius  Caesar. 

Portia The  Merchant  of  Venice. 

Princess  Badralbadour    ....  Aladdin. 

Queen  Elizabeth Richard  III. 

Queen  Elizabeth Kenilworth. 

Queen  Gertrude Hamlet. 

Queen  Isabel Richard  II. 

Queefi  Katherine Henry  VIII. 

Rebecca Ivanhoe. 

Rosabella Brazen  Mask. 

Rosalie  Somers Town  and  Country. 

Rosalind As  You  Like  It. 

Rosamunda Abaellino. 

Rose  Redland The  Robber's  Wife. 

Rose  Sidney Secrets  Worth  Knowing. 

Rosine Altorf. 

Rosine  Villars Education. 

Rosolia Zorinski. 

Roxa7ia Alexander  the  Great. 

Seliina Tamerlane. 

Selima Timour  the  Tartar. 

Selina The  Tale  of  Mystery. 

Senona The  Gladiator. 

Sigismonda Tancred  and  Sigismonda. 

Statira Alexander  the  Great. 

Susan  Ashfield Speed  the  Plough. 

Tarquinia      ........  Brutus. 

Therese Therese. 


APPENDIX.  I^^ 

ThiHia Brutus. 

Variella The  Weathercock. 

Victoria Manuel. 

Victo)-ine Victorine. 

Virginia Virginius. 

Voliirnnia Coriolanus. 

Widow  Bdmore The  Way  to  Keep  Him. 

Zamora The  Honeymoon. 

Zelinda The  Slave. 

Zorayda The  Mountaineers. 

Zorayda The  East  Indian. 

Zidieka The  Bride  of  Abydos. 

Perhaps  a  few  secondary  parts  performed  by  Mrs.  Duff  dur- 
ing her  long  novitiate  at  Boston  and  Philadelphia  may  not  be 
found  in  the  above  list,  but  it  is  supposed  to  contain  all  her 
prominent  characters,  many  of  which  may  have  had  many  more 
repetitions  than  any  available  sources  of  information  now  dis- 
close. She  doubtless  played  engagements  at  the  South  and 
West  of  which  particulars  are  not  to  be  obtained. 

Of  the  characters  of  which  records  have  been  found,  the  one 
that  had  the  most  repetitions  is  Mathilde  in  "  The  Bohemian 
Mother,"  for  which  she  was  announced  fifty-two  times.  Mrs. 
Haller  stands  next  in  the  list  with  forty-six  personations.  Ca- 
lanthe  has  forty ;  Elvira  thirty-nine ;  Eugenia  thirty-eight ; 
Jane  Shore  and  Belvidera  thirty-six  ;  Isabella  thirty-three  ;  Ellen 
Douglas  thirty-two  ;  Florinda  and  Zidieka  thirty-one  ;  Madame 
Clennont  thirty  ;  Qiceeii  Elizabeth  twenty-nine  ;  Mrs.  Beverley 
twenty-six;  C^fra  and  Cordelia  twenty-five;  y«//>/ twenty-four ; 
Lady  Rajidolph  and  Adelgitha  twenty-three ;  Rose  Redland 
twenty-one  ;  Lady  Macbeth  twenty ;  Desdejno7ta,  Imogine,  and 
Therese  nineteen  ;  Hermione  and  Statira  eighteen  ;  Portia  seven- 
teen ;  Ajinette  sixteen  ;  Ophelia  fifteen  ;  Katheri>ie  fourteen ; 
and  many  others  of  inferior  importance  from  five  to  twenty-five 
representations  each. 


APPENDIX  IL 


A   LIST    OF    CHARACTERS    PERFORMED 
BY   MR.    DUFF. 


Ahcellino Abaellino. 

Abenazack Aladdin. 

Aben  Hamet The  Conquest  of  Taranto. 

Adelmorn Adelmorn  the  Outlaw. 

Adolph  (TAnglade Accusation. 

Adrian Adrian  and  Orilla. 

Alexander  the  Great  ....  Alexander  the  Great. 

Alfonso Alfonso,  King  of  Castile. 

Alfred  Highflyer A  Roland  for  an  Oliver. 

Alfred  Leslie Brier  Cliff 

Anderson The  American  Captive. 

Antonio The  Merchant  of  Venice. 

Apollo Midas. 

Appius  Claudius Virginius. 

Baron  Hohendahl Alasco. 

Baron  Toraldi The  Devil's  Bridge. 

Baron  Willinghurst    ....  Of  Age  To-morrow. 

Banquo Macbeth. 

Belcour The  West  Indian. 

Bellair More  Ways  than  One. 

Belmour The  Prodigal. 

Benducar Durazzo. 

Benedick Much  Ado  About  Nothing. 


10  APPENDIX. 

Bertratid The  Foundling  of  the  Forest. 

Beverley The  Gamester. 

Biron Isabella. 

Black  Knight,  The      ....  Ivanhoe. 

Bob  Handy Speed  the  Plough. 

Bolhnan La  Fayette. 

Bronzely Wives    as    They    Were,    and 

Maids  as  They  Are. 

Brutus Julius  Caesar. 

Count  Belino The  Devil's  Bridge. 

Count  de  Croissy The  Wandering  Boys. 

Couftt  de  Salviati The  Castle  of  Paluzzi. 

Count  de  Valmont The  Foundling  of  the  Forest. 

Count  Evarard  ......  The  Fortress. 

Coicnt  Olmedo The  Kiss. 

Count  Romaldi The  Tale  of  Mystery. 

Count  Valentia The  Child  of  Nature. 

Count  Villars Education. 

Col.  Cohenberg The  Siege  of  Belgrade. 

Col.  Freelove The  Day  after  the  Wedding. 

Col.  Singleto7t The  Spy. 

Capt.  Beldare Love  Laughs  at  Locksmiths. 

Capt.  Blumenftlt How  to  Die  for  Love. 

Capt.  Crevelt He  Would  be  a  Soldier. 

Capt.  Faulkner The  Way  to  get  Married. 

Capt.  Irwifi Every  One  has  his  Fault. 

Capt.  Plume The  Recruiting  Officer. 

Carlos The  Revenge. 

Carrol Oscar  and  Malvina. 

Carwin Therese. 

Cassius Julius  Cassar. 

Charles  Austeiicotirt    ....  Man  and  Wife. 

Charles  Fervor Yes  or  No. 

Charles  Surface The  School  for  Scandal. 

Clodio Love  Makes  a  Man. 

Colonna Evadne. 

Columbus Columbus. 


APPENDIX.  157 

Coriolanus Coriolanus. 

Crackley The  Green  Man. 

Duke  Aranza The  Honeymoon. 

Duke  of  Buckingham  ....  Richard  III. 

Duke  of  Buckinghatn  .     .     .     .  Henry  VIII. 

Dtcke  of  Gloster Jane  Shore. 

Don  Alphonso The  Duel. 

Don  Felix The  Wonder. 

Don  Julio A  Bold  Stroke  for  a  Husband. 

Don  Ordonio Remorse. 

Daran  .     - The  Exile. 

Dashzvould Know  Your  Own  Mind. 

De  Camoral Joan  of  Arc. 

Dennis  Brulgruddery       .     .     .  John  Bull. 

Dick The  Apprentice. 

Dick  Dowlas The  Heir-at-Law. 

Dirck  Hatteraick Guy  Mannering. 

Doricourt The  Belle's  Stratagem. 

Dorlin Adeline. 

Dorrington The  Man  of  Ten  Thousand. 

Dupely The  Maid  of  the  Oaks. 

Earl  Dotiglas Wallace. 

Earl  Osmond The  Castle  Spectre. 

Earl  of  Richmond Richard  III. 

Earl  of  Rochester Rochester. 

Edgar King  Lear. 

Edmund King  Lear. 

Egerton The  Man  of  the  World. 

Estruan The  Broken  Sword. 

The  Ethiop The  Ethiop. 

Eugene  de  Biron Henri  Quatre. 

Evarard Maid  and  Magpie. 

Father  Philip The  Castle  Spectre. 

Faulconbridge King  John. 

Falkland The  Rivals. 

Faidkner Man  and  Wife. 

Felix The  Hunter  of  the  Alps. 


158 


APPENDIX. 


Ferment The  School  of  Reform. 

Fitz  Eckuard The  Sons  of  Erin. 

Fitzhardi7ig The  Curfew. 

Florian The  Foundling  of  the  Forest. 

Florid My  Uncle. 

Floriville The  Dramatist. 

Ford The  Merry  Wives  of  Windsor. 

Foster A  Woman  Never  Vext. 

Francis  de  Moor The  Robbers. 

Frayik  Heartall The  Soldier's  Daughter. 

Frank  Poppleton Too  Late  for  Dinner. 

Frederick The  Poor  Gentleman. 

Frederick  Bertram       ....  The  Jew. 

Gambia The  Slave. 

George  Bay-nwell George  Barnwell. 

Gesler William  Tell. 

Ghost  of  Hamlef  s  Father      .     .  Plamlet. 

Ghost  of  Jerry  Ha-wthorn     .     .  Death  of  Life  in  London. 

Giaffier The  Bride  of  Abydos. 

Glenalvon Douglas. 

Goldfinch The  Road  to  Ruin. 

Gossamer Laugh  When  You  Can. 

Gratiano The  Merchant  of  Venice. 

Grindoff The  Miller  and  his  Men. 

Guide Mirandola. 

Guiscard Adelgitha. 

Gustavus  Vasa The  Hero  of  the  North. 

Hamlet Hamlet. 

Harry  Dornton The  Road  to  Ruin. 

Harry  Herbert        Columbus. 

Hassarac The  Forty  Thieves. 

Heartwell Riches. 

Hemeya The  Apostate. 

Henry  Morton The  Battle  of  Bothwell  Brig. 

Horatio Hamlet. 

Hotspur Henry  IV.,  First  Part. 

Howard The  Will. 


APPENDIX. 


59 


lago Othello. 

Indian  Chief She  Would  be  a  Soldier. 

Ivanhoe Ivanhoe. 

Jacques As  You  Like  It. 

JaJJier Venice  Preserved. 

Jean  Calas The  Fate  of  Galas. 

Jeremy  Diddler Raising  the  Wind. 

Jerry  Haiothorn Tom  and  Jerry. 

Joe  Standfast The  Turnpike  Gate. 

Joseph  Surface The  School  for  Scandal. 

King  Heiiry  IV. Henry  IV.,  Second  Part. 

King  Lear Kiiig  Lear. 

King  Philip  of  France      .     .     .  King  John. 

King  Richard  III.      ....  Richard  IIL 

Kalig The  Blind  Boy. 

Kenrick The  Heir-at-Lavv. 

Kilinallock The  Mountaineers. 

Kilrooney The  Ninth  Statue. 

Korac Zembucca. 

Lord  Dnke's  Servant  ....  High  Life  Below  Stairs. 

Lord  Glenhrd' The  Pastor's  Daughter. 

Lord  Hastings Jane  Shore. 

Lord  Henry Personation. 

Lord  Maclean The  Lady  of  the  Rock. 

Lord  Townly The  Provoked  Husband. 

Lord  Trinket The  Jealous  Wife. 

La  Motte Fontainville  Forest. 

Lenox She  Would  be  a  Soldier. 

Leon Rule  a  Wife  and  Have  a  Wife. 

Lothair Adelgitha. 

Looney  Mc  Twolter The  Review. 

Marquis  Calatrava      ....  The  Caravan. 

Marquis  Delancy The  Midnight  Hour. 

Alarqiiis  de  Serassi      ....  Ugolino. 

Major  0' Flaherty The  West  Indian. 

Mr.  Oakley The  Jealous  Wife. 

Macaire The  Forest  of  Bondy. 


l5o  APPENDIX. 

Macbeth Macbeth. 

Macduff Macbeth. 

MacScrape Netley  Abbey. 

Malcolm The  Falls  of  Clyde. 

Malec The  Apostate. 

Manuel Manuel. 

Marc  Antony Julius  Caesar. 

Marmion Marmion. 

Marplot The  Busy  Body. 

Matthew The  Warlock  of  the  Glen. 

Mazeppa Payne's  Mazeppa. 

Megrim Blue  Devils. 

Mercutio Romeo  and  Juliet. 

Mertoun,  Senior The  Pirate. 

Michael William  Tell. 

Michael  Dncas Adelgitha. 

Michael  Perez Rule  a  Wife  and  Have  a  Wife. 

Milligan Returned  Killed. 

Moneses Tamerlane. 

Montalto .  Bell  ami  ra. 

Montgomeri The  Carmelite. 

Morde7it The  Steward. 

Moritz Is  He  a  Prince. 

Mountford Reformation. 

Murtoch  Delany The  Irishman  in  London. 

Nathaniel  Barton The  Deed  of  Gift. 

Neville Right  and  Wrong. 

Octavian The  Mountaineers. 

Opimius Caius  Gracchus. 

Orestes The  Distrest  Mother. 

Oroonoko Oroonoko. 

Orozembo Pizarro. 

Orsino Alfonso. 

Orson Valentine  and  Orson. 

Osbert Edgar. 

Oscar Oscar  and  Malvina. 

Osmond Tancred  and  Sigismonda. 


APPENDIX.  l6i 

Othello Othello. 

Prince  Altenberg Adrian  and  Orilla. 

Patrick The  Poor  Soldier. 

Penriiddock The  Wheel  of  Fortune. 

Peregrine John  Bull. 

Peter  the  Great Peter  the  Great. 

Petriichio Katherine  and  Petruchio. 

Phantom Frightened  to  Death. 

Phocion The  Grecian  Daughter. 

Pierre  . Venice  Preserved. 

Pizarro Pizarro. 

Priiili Venice  Preserved. 

Prospero The  Tempest. 

Puff The  Critic. 

Pyrrhics The  Distrest  Mother. 

Pythias Damon  and  Pythias. 

Patio Helpless  Animals. 

Rattan The  Bee  Hive. 

Reuben  Glenroy      .     .  .     .  Town  and  Country. 

Richard The  Innkeeper's  Daughter. 

Rinaldo The  Voice  of  Nature. 

Rob  Roy Rob  Roy. 

Robert The  Vampire. 

Robinson  Crnsoe Robinson  Crusoe. 

Roderick  Dim The  Knight  of  Snowdoun. 

Roderick  Dhu The  Lady  of  the  Lake. 

Rolamo Clari. 

Roldan Columbus. 

Rolla Pizarro. 

Romeo Romeo  and  Juliet. 

Rosenberg Ella  Rosenberg. 

Rostrnm Secrets  Worth  Knowing. 

R(yver Wild  Oats. 

Sir  Brian  de  Boisgtdlbert     .     .  Ivanhoe. 

Sir  Callaghan  O'Brallaghan    .  Love  a  la  Mode. 

Sir  Charles  Rackett     ....  Three  Weeks  after  Marriage. 

Sir  Edxvard  Mortimer    .     .     .  The  Iron  Chest. 


1 52  APPENDIX. 

Sir  George  Staunton   ....  The  Heart  of  Mid  Lothian. 

Sir  George  Touchwood    .     .     .  The  Belle's  Stratagem. 

Sir  Harry  Aspen The  Gazette  Extraordinary. 

Sir  Harry  Stormont  ....  The  Poor  Lodger. 

Sir  John  Melville The  Clandestine  Marriage. 

Sir  John  Restless All  in  the  Wrong. 

Sir  Larry  McMiirra^h  .     .     .  Who  Wants  a  Guinea  ? 

Sir  Lenox  Leinsfer     ....  Exchange  no  Robbery. 

Sir  Lucius  O' Trigger      .     .     .  The  Rivals. 

Sir  Robert  Ramble      ....  Every  One  has  his  Fault. 

Squire  Groom Love  a  la  Mode. 

St.  Franc The  Point  of  Honor. 

Sanguinbeck Cherry  and  Fair  Star. 

Scout The  Village  Lawyer. 

Sebastien The  Renegade. 

Selim Barbarossa. 

Shacabac        .   • Blue  Beard. 

Sharpset The  Votary  of  Wealth. 

Shylock The  Merchant  of  Venice. 

Singles,  The  Three      ....  Three  and  the  Deuce. 

Sparkish The  Country  Girl. 

Spatterdash The  Young  Quaker. 

Sponge Where  Shall  I  Dine  ? 

Stephenoff Benyowski. 

Stranger,  The The  Stranger. 

Storm Ella  Rosenberg. 

Stukely The  Gamester. 

Sydenham The  Wheel  of  Fortune. 

Sylvester  Daggerwood .    .     .     .  Sylvester  Daggerwood. 

Tattgent The  Way  to  Get  Married. 

Teague The  Honest  Thieves. 

Tekeli Tekeli. 

Terry  O'Rourke The  Irish  Tutor. 

Timour Timour  the  Tartar. 

Tinsel The  Drummer. 

Titus Brutus. 

Tom Tom  and  Jerry. 


APPENDIX.  163 

Tom  Shiijfleton John  Bull. 

Tom  Tick Folly  as  it  Flies. 

Tristram  Fickle The  Weathercock. 

Tullus  Aiifidius Coriolanus. 

Unknown,  The Superstition. 

Valcoicr The  Point  of  Honor. 

Valentine Valentine  and  Orson. 

Valerius Brutus. 

Vapid The  Dramatist. 

Walter The  Children  in  the  Wood. 

Welford Darkness  Visible. 

Wellborn A  New  Way  to  Pay  Old  Debts. 

Werter Charlotte  and  Werter. 

Wildlove The  Lady  and  the  Devil. 

William  Tell The  Archers. 

Willowear To  Marry  or  Not  to  Marry. 

Young  Marlow She  Stoops  to  Conquer. 

Young  Norval Douglas. 

Young  Rapid A  Cure  for  the  Heartache. 

Zorinski Zorinski. 


NOTE   OF   ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 


The  writer  is  indebted  for  courteous  replies  to  letters  of 
inquiry  concerning  the  fate  of  Mrs.  Duff,  to  Mr.  Henry  Ashley, 
Mr.  Edwin  Adams,*  Mrs.  W.  R.  Blake,*  Mr.  William  War- 
ren, Dr.  J.  Baldwin  Duff,  Mr.  Thomas  T.  Duff,  Mrs.  Alexina 
F.  Baker,  Mrs.  John  Drew,  Mr.  James  Rees,  Hon.  Thurlow 
Weed,  Mrs.  George  Stevenson,  Mr.  Joel  Munsell,*  Mrs.  George 
Farren,  Hon.  John  B.  Rice,*  Hon.  A.  Oakey  Hall,  Mr.  Thomas 
Barry,*  Mrs.  Thomas  Barry,  Mr.  James  Lawson,*  Mr.  Henry 
Isherwood,  Mr.  John  Gilbert,  Hon.  John  K.  Hackett,* 
Miss  Emily  Mestayer,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Wallack,  Jr.,*  Gen.'c.  W. 
Sandford,*  Mr.  Cornelius  Mathews,  Mr.  George  Rowe,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Walworth  D.  Crane,  Mrs.  William  F.  Duff,  Mr.  F. 
W.  Byrdsall,  Hon.  W.  B.  Maclay,*  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Jefferson 
Fisher,  Mr.  H.  D.  Stone,  Hon.  E.  Salomon,  Mr.  J.  A.  J. 
Neafie,  Mr.  Benjamin  W.  Seaver,  Mr.  Abraham  Luria,  Mr. 
A.  A.  Senior,  Col.  James  Page,*  Rt.  Hon.. Earl  Russell,*  Mrs. 
Charles  Durang,*  Mr.  N.  M.  Ludlow,  Mr.  W.  W.  Clapp,  Mrs. 
J.  B.  Rice,  Mrs.  S.  Haynes  Jenks,  Dr.  Samuel  T.  Hubbard, 
and  Mr.  J.  H.  Hewitt.  Most  of  these  ladies  and  gentlemen 
had  been  brought  into  personal  contact  with  Mrs.  Duff,  or 
distinctly  remembered  her  theatrical  career.  Many  of  them 
referred  to  her  distinguished  standing  in  the  profession ;  but, 
with  few  exceptions,  all  regretted  their  inability  to  give  any 
positive  information  concerning  her  death  or  latter  years.  In- 
deed, the  fact  of  her  death  was  generally  unknown. 

Transcripts  of  important  play-bills,  issued  during  Mrs.  Duff's 
engagements,  and  newspaper  notices  of  her  performances,  were 
kindly  furnished  by  the  librarians  of  the  Massachusetts  His- 

*  Since  deceased. 


APPENDIX. 


i6s 


torical  Society,  the  Public  Library  of  Boston,  the  Providence 
Athenaeum,  the  State  Library  at  Albany,  the  Mercantile  Li- 
brary of  Baltimore,  the  Charleston  Library  Society  of  S.  C, 
the  Mercantile  Libraries  of  St.  Louis  and  Cincinnati,  and 
the  City  Library  of  New  Orleans;  while  free  access  to  the 
shelves  of  the  Philadelphia  Library,  the  New  York  Society 
Library,  and  the  Historical  Society  of  New  York,  was  gener- 
ously accorded  by  their  officials.  To  Mr.  Augustus  Toedte- 
berg  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  special  thanks  are  due  for  valuable 
assistance. 


INDEX, 


"Ab^lltno,"  152,  155. 
Abbott,  Wm.,  131. 
"Accusation,"  151,  155. 
Adaj?is,  Edwin,  164. 
Addams,  Augustus  A.,  107,168, 

122,  124,  125,  126,  128. 
Addams,    Mrs.     Augustus    A., 

(Mrs.  J.  G.  Porter).     See 

Mary  Duff. 
Addison,  Joseph,  14. 
"  Adelgitha,"  76, 85, 90, 147, 1 58, 

159,  160. 
"Adeline,"  34,  69,  147,  157. 
"Adelmorn  the  Outlaw,"  116, 

149.  155- 
Adelphi    Theatre,    Baltimore, 

(Mud  Theatre),  105,  106. 
"  Adrian  and  Orilla,"  14,  42, 44, 

64,65,  75-76,  83,  151,  152, 

155,  161. 
Advertiser  (Boston),  98. 
Age  (London),  88. 
"Aladdin,"  22,  147,  152,  155. 
"  Alasco,"  155. 
Albany,  New  York,  20,  58,  59, 

164. 
Albany  Theatre  (N.  Y.),  20. 
Albion  (New  York),  37,  39,  43, 

56,  65,  76,  78,  91. 


Album  (Philadelphia),  116. 
"Alexander     the    Great,"    39, 

152,155- 

"Alfonso,  King  of  Castile." 
155,  160. 

Allen,  Mrs.  Clarissa  (Mrs.  La- 
combe),  43. 

"All  in  the  Wrong,"  162. 

"Altorf,"  104,  152. 

"Ambrose  Gwinette,"  99,  151. 

American  (New  York),  38. 

"American  Captive,"  155. 

American  Theatre,  New  Or- 
leans, 133. 

Anderson,  James,  55. 

Anderson,  Mrs.  (Ophelia  Pei- 
by),  109. 

Andrews,  George,  94. 

"  Andromaque,"  26. 

Anthon,  John,  68,  71. 

"  Apostate,  The,"  36,  39,  42, 95, 
106,  133,  149,  158,  160. 

"  Apprentice,  The,"  157. 

Archer,  Thos.,  97,  104, 106,  iii. 

"Archers,  The,"  163. 

Arch-Street  Theatre,  Philadel- 
phia, III,  114. 

Ashley,  Henry,  164. 

"As  You  Like  It,"  152,  159. 


1 68 


INDEX, 


Athenaeum  (Providence,  R.  I.), 

165. 
Atlas  (London),  %Z. 
Aurora  (Philadelphia),  19. 
Austin,    Mrs.    Elizabeth   (Mrs. 

Berkeley),  120. 

Baker,  Alexina  Fisher,  hi, 
124,  164. 

Baldwin  Charlotte  (Mrs.  Simp- 
son, Mrs.  J.  W.  Walstein), 

43.  55»  56,  58- 

Baltimore,  Md.,  16,  23,  24,  35, 
36,  40,  42,  46,  48,  58,  61, 
104,  105,  106,  112,  122, 123, 
124,  125,  135,  136. 

Baltimore  Mercantile  Library, 
165. 

Baltimore  Theatre,  16. 

Bannister,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  Legge, 
Mrs.  Stone),  109 

"  Barbarossa,"  149,  162. 

Barker,  J.  N.,  18,  41,  98. 

Barnes,  John,  10,  27,  28,  74,  83. 

Barnes,  Mrs.  John  (Miss  Simp- 
son, Miss  Greenhill),  10, 
27,  28,  40,  74,  81,  145. 

Barnes,  Air.  (of  Boston),  10. 

Barnes,  Mrs.  (of  Boston),  (Miss 
Bates),  ID,  12,  21,  27,  28. 

Barrett,  Mrs.  Giles  Leonard,  19. 

Barrett,  George  Norton,  19,  43, 
60,  61,  62,  ^T„  76,  94. 

Barrett,  Mrs.  Geo.  H.  (Ann  Jane 
Henry,  Miss  Stockweli, 
Mrs.  W  C.  Drummond), 
10,  21,  43,  60,  64,  76,  94, 
loi,  102,  102  note,  103. 

Barriere,  Hypolite,  42. 

Barry,  Mrs.  Spranger  (Mrs. 
Dancer,  Mrs.  Crawford),  52. 


Barry,  Thos.,  17  note,  103,  164. 

Barry,  Mrs.  Thomas  (Clara  S. 
Biddies),  164. 

Barry  more,  Wm.,  124. 

Bartley,  Geo.,  23. 

Bartley,  Mrs.  Geo.  (Miss  Wil- 
liamson, Miss  Smith),  23, 
42. 

Barton,  Mr.,  T07,  109,  no,  119. 

"  Battle  of  Bothwell-Brig,"  158. 

Becher,  Lady  (Miss  O'Neill), 
6,  47,  61,  65,  91,  94. 

Becher,  Sir  Wm.  Wrixon,  6. 

"Bee-Hive,  The,"  161. 

"  Bellamira,"  58,  96,  147,  160. 

"  Belle's  Stratagem,  The,"  150, 
157,  162. 

Bell's  Weekly  Messenger,  88, 
91. 

"Benyowski,"  162. 

Berkeley,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Aus- 
tin), 120. 

Bernard,  John,  10,  ii,  12,  21, 
24. 

Bernard,  Mr.  ("  Bernard,  Jr."), 
61,  64. 

"  Bertram,"  39,  78,  79,  148,  149. 

Betterton,  Miss  (Mrs.  Glover), 
24. 

Betterton,  Thos.  W.,  24. 

Bibby  G Oliver neiir  S.,  20. 

Biddies  Clara  S.  (Mrs.  Thos. 
Barry),  164. 

"  Black  Beard,"  147. 

Blaike,  B.,  102  note,  103. 

Blake,  Wm.  R.,  58,  75,  76,  94, 
127,  164. 

Blake,  Mrs.  Wm.  R.  (Caroline 
Placide,  Mrs.  Waring),  43, 
55,  56,  76,  127,  164. 

Blakeley,  Thos.  H.,  103. 


INDEX. 


169 


Blanc  hard,     Elizabeth      (Mrs. 

Charles,    Mrs.    Hamblin), 

49,  104,  126. 
"Blind  Boy,  The,"  14,  18,  148, 

159- 

Blissett,  Francis,  19. 

"  Blue  Beard,"  22,  149,  162. 

"Blue  Devils,"  147,  160. 

"  Boarding-House,"  148. 

"  Bohemian  Mother,  The,"  99, 
100, 104,  113,  117, 118,  151. 

"  Bold  Stroke  for  a  Husband," 
13,  14S,  157. 

Booth,  Edwin,  90  note. 

Booth,  Junius  Brutus,  3,  33,  35, 
36,  yj^  40.  41,  42,  45»  46- 
47,  48,  66,  93,  95,  99,  100, 
loi,  102,  105,  106,109,  no, 

120, 124, 125. 

Boston,  Mass.,  2,  8,  9,  13,  14, 
15,  16,  17  note,  19,  20,  22, 
23,  24,  25,  31,  32,  34,  35, 
40,  43,  44,  45.  74,  79,  83, 
85,  86,  93,  94,  95,  97,  98, 
99,  100,  102,  103,  105,  107, 
108,  117,  141,  142,  164. 

Boston  Advertiser,  98. 

Boston  Centinel  (Columbian 
Centinel),  9,  23,  29. 

Boston  Courier,  85. 

Boston  Gazette,  9,  15,  30,  44, 
83,  84. 

Boston  Polyanthus,  17  note. 

Boston  Public  Library,  165. 

Boston  Theatre,  8,  21,  22,  26, 
32,  37- 

Boston  Traveller,  84,  85,  99. 

Bourbonic  Museum,  Naples, 82. 

Bowery  Theatre,  N.  Y,  40,  60, 
61,63,64,65,  71,72,74,75, 
76,  77,  108,  120,  128. 


Bray,  John,  21,  27. 

"  Brazen  Mask,"  11,  152. 

Brazier,  Mrs.,  64. 

Brevoort,  Mrs.  (Miss  Leesugg, 

Eliza  Sharpe),  103. 
"  Brian  Boroihme,"  74. 
"Bride  of  Abydos,    The,"  26, 

41,47,  153,  158. 
"  Bride  of  Lammermoor,  The," 

104,  122,  151. 
"Brier-Cliff,"  55,  148,  155. 
Brighton,  Eng.,  67. 
Brighton  Theatre  (Eng.),  Z-j. 
Broadway  Theatre,  New  York, 

138  note. 
"  Broken  Sword,  The,"  22,  152, 

157. 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  129,  165. 
Brow7t,  Frederick,  21,  27,  32,40, 

107,  120. 
Brown,  Mrs.  Frederick  (Sophia 

Decamp),  21,  124. 
Brown,  J.  Mills,  ToS,  T24. 
"  Brutus"  (Payne's),  41,  49,  51, 

152,  153,  162,163. 
Buckingham.  J.  T.,  1-]  note. 
"  Bunker  Hill,"  149. 
Burke,        Joseph        ("  Master 

Burke  "),  120. 
Burke,  Airs.  (Cornelia  Frances 

Thomas,  Mrs.  Joseph  Jef- 
ferson), 58. 
Burroughs     Francis     Watkins, 

48,  49,  57,  58. 
Btirton,  Wm.  E.,  21. 
Burton's    Theatre    (Chambers 

Street),  108. 
"Busy-Body,    The,"    11,     151, 

160. 
Butler,  Mrs.  P.    (Fanny  Kem- 

ble),  102,  115,  118, 120, 145. 


i;o 


INDEX. 


Byrdsall,  F.  IV.,  164. 

"  Caius  Gracchus,"  160. 
Caldwell,  Javier  H.,  118. 
Caldxoell  aiid  Russell,  1 18. 
CaDipbell,    Mrs.   Maria    (Mrs. 

John  Gilbert),  102  note. 
"Caravan,  The,"  159. 
"  Carmelite,  The,"  160. 
*'  Castle  of  Paluzzi,"  156. 
"Castle  Spectre,  The,"  17,  51, 

78,  128,  147,  157- 
Celeste,   Mine.    (Mile.    Lenghis, 

Mrs.   H.  Elliott),  18,  100, 

143  note. 
Centinel    (Columbian),    9,    23, 

29. 
Chapvian,       Caroline        (Miss 

Greenwood),   108. 
Chapman,      Mrs.      Richardson 

Fisher    (Elizabeth    Jeffer- 
son), 135,  164. 
Chapman,  Wm.  (elder),  103. 
Chapman,  Wm.  B.,  loS. 
Charles,      Mrs.     (Mrs.      Thos. 

Hamblin),  49,  104,  126. 
Charleston,  S.  C,  58,  86,  106, 

165. 
Charleston  Library  Society  of 

South  Carolina,  165. 
"Charlotte  and  Werter,"  163. 
Chatham  Garden  Theatre,  New 

York,  42,  54-56,  57,  58,  66, 

68,69,70,71,72,73,74,  75, 

93- 

"  Cherry  and  Fair-Star,"  162. 

Chestnut  Street  Theatre,  Phil- 
adelphia, 35,  66,  96,  106, 
107,  i«38-i22,  123,  125,  139 
note. 

"Child  of  Nature,  The,"  156. 


"  Children  in  the  Wood,  The," 

41,  163. 
Cibber,   Susanna   Maria     (Mrs. 

Theophilus  Cibber),  2. 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  118,  165. 
Cincinnati  Mercantile  Library, 

165. 
Cincinnati  Theatre,  118. 
"Cinderella,"  15,  148. 
City    Library,    New    Orleans, 

165. 
City      Theatre      (Washington 

Gardens),  Boston,  12^. 
"  Clandestine  Marriage,  The," 

149,  162. 
Clapp,  IVm.  IV.,  164. 

on  Mrs.  Duff's  acting,  ii. 
"  Clari,"  94,  161. 
Clark,  Mr.  (Kilner  and  Clark), 

32- 
Clarke,  J.  H.,  37. 
Claxton,  Kate,  19. 
Clenient,  Mr.,  102  note. 
Clifton,  Josephine,  120. 
Collin gbotc7-ne,    Wm.     E.,     102 

note,  103. 
Collins,  Wm.,  12,  31. 
Columbian     Centinel    (Boston 

Centinel),  9,  23,  29. 
"Columbus,"  78,  148,  152,  156, 

158,  161. 
"  Comedy  of  Errors,"  83. 
Comer,  Thos.,  102  note,  103. 
Cone,  Spencer  H.,  19. 
Conner,  EdmonS.,  124, 126,  127. 
"Conquest  of   Taranto,"  152, 

155- 
Conway,  Wm.  A.,  3,  46,  49,  54, 

56,  61,  62,  63,  67,  74,  86. 
Cooke,  George  Frederick,  11,  14, 

17,  20,  33. 


IXDEX. 


171 


Cooper^  J.  Feunimore,  117. 

Cooper,  Johti,  87,  90. 

Cooper,  Thomas  Abthorp,  3,  8, 
20,  21,  22,  24,  27,  29,  38, 
39.  41,  47>  48,  49.  82,  87, 
96,  100,  104,  106,  107,  109, 
no,  III,  113,  120. 

"Coriolanus,"6, 17,64, 153, 157, 
163. 

"Country  Girl,"  163. 

Courier  and  Enquirer  (New 
York),  113. 

Courier  (Boston),  85. 

Covent  Garden  Theatre,  Lon- 
don, 42,  46,  131. 

Cowley,  Mrs.  Hannah,  13. 

"  Cradle  of  Liberty,"  117,  148. 

Cramer,   Miss   (Mrs.   Plumer), 

Crane,  Walworth  D.,  164. 

Crane,  Mrs.  Walworth  D.,  164. 

Crichton,  Jatties  ("  The  Admi- 
rable Crichton"),  8. 

"Critic,  The,"  161. 

Crooke,  Mr.,  94. 

Crooke,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  Mason,  Mrs. 
Entwistle),  18,  19,  43. 

"  Cure  for  the  Heartache,"  149, 
150,163. 

"Curfew,  The,"  149,  151,  158. 

Cushmati,  Charlotte,  2,  107,  143 
note,  145. 

"Damon  and  Pythias,"  38, 
51,  148,  i6r. 

Daponte,  Lorefizo,  120. 

"  Darkness  Visible,"  163. 

Darley,  Felix  O.  C,  lO. 

Darley,  John,  ID,  12,  108. 

Darley,  Mrs.  John  (Ellen  West- 
ray),  12,  13. 


D*  Anisviont     Mme.        (Fanny 

Wright),  104. 
"  Day  After  the  Wedding,"  1 50, 

156. 
"Dead  Shot,  The,"  116. 
"Deaf  and  Dumb,"  18,  150. 
Dean,  Julia,  10. 
Dean,  Nicholas,  75. 
"  Death  of   Life   in   London," 

158. 
"Debtor  and  Creditor,"  150. 
DeCamp,  Maria  Theresa  (Mrs. 

Chas.  Kemble),  18,  21. 
DeCamp,  Plncent,  125. 
"Deed  of  Gift,"  160. 
D*Egville,  James,  5. 
Dennis,  Heiiry,  66. 
Denjiy,     Miss      (Mrs.      Alex. 

Drake),  iii. 
"Devil's  Bridge,"  24,  25,  148, 

155.  156- 

Dibdin,  Charles,  23. 

Dickijison,  James  A.  (or  Dick- 
son), 8,  12,  20. 

Dickson,  Jaj)ies  A.  (or  Dickin- 
son), 8,  12,  20. 

Dimond,  Wm.,  14,  31,  42. 

Dinneford,  Wm.,  126. 

"Distrest  Mother,  The,"  26, 
28,  30-31,  37,  44.  78,  83, 
95,  105,  107,  149,  160,  161. 

Doige,  Mrs.,  12. 

"  Douglas,"  28,  51, 150,  158, 163. 

Drake,  Mrs.  Alex.  (Miss  Den- 
ny), III 

Drake,  Samuel,  10,  12. 

Drake,  Mrs.  Samuel,  10. 

"Dramatist,  The,"  14,  24,  151, 
158,  163. 

Drezv,  Mrs.  John  (Louisa  Lane, 
Mrs.  Henry  Hunt),  87,  164. 


J2 


INDEX. 


"  Drummer,     The,"     14,     150, 

162. 
Driivi77iond,  W.  C,  21. 
Drum77iond,  Mrs.    W.    C.     See 

Mrs.  Geo.  H.  Barrett. 
Drury  Lane  Theatre,  London, 

87,  89-90,  91,  92,  105. 
Dublin,  Ireland,   5,  6,  7,  8,  24, 

25,  87. 
Dublin  Theatre,  5,  8,  87. 
"Duel,  The,"  148,  157. 
"Duenna,  The,"  23,  150. 
Duff,  Eliza   (Mrs.   Von  Leer), 

137,  137  note. 
Duff,     yanies     Lenville,      137 

note. 
Duff,  Dr.  y.  Baldzvin,  164. 
Duff,  John  R. : 
his  early  career,  8. 
his  marriage,  8. 
his  American  debut,  8. 
his  versatility,  9,  15. 
his  position  on  the  stage,  9. 
his  decline  in  power  and  at- 
tractiveness, 45,  60. 
his  quarrel  with  Henry  Wal- 

lack  58,  66  et  seq. 
his  visit  to  England,  86  ^"^  seq- 
his  death,  107. 
his  private  character,  108. 
his  list  of  parts,  155-163. 
his   Cou7it  Beli7io    in   "  The 

Devil's  Bridge,"  24-25. 
his  Ha77ilct,  9. 
his  Mar77iio7i,  18. 
his   Three  S'mgles  in  "  Three 

and  the  Deuce,"  13. 
Boston  Centinel   on  his  act- 
ing, 9. 
Boston  Gazette  on  his  acting, 
9.  15- 


Duff,  JohTt  R. : 

Philadelphia  Aurora  on  his 

acting,  19. 
Wm.  Wood  on  his  acting,  17, 

107. 
Diff,  Joh7i,  Jr.,  138  note. 
Duff,  Mrs.  (Mary  Ann  Dyke)  : 
her  birth,  5. 
her  theatrical  debut,  5. 
her    association  with   Thos. 

Moore,  6-7. 
her  marriage  to  Jno.R.Duff,  8. 
her  American  debut,  10. 
her  first  benefit,  12. 
her  quarrel  with  Henry  Wal- 

lack,  57,  66  et  seq. 
her  visit  to  England,  S6-93. 
her     marriage     to     Charles 

Young,  120  et  seq. 
her  marriage  to  Joel  G.  Sea- 

ver,  131  ^/  seq. 
her  last   appearance    on  the 

stage,  133-134. 
her  death  and  burial,  141. 
her  position  on  the  stage,  i- 

3.    55'  67,  74,  79-82,   114, 

117,  132,  141,  et  seq. 
her  personal  appearance,  1,50. 
her   religious   belief,  4,  134, 

138-140. 
her  poems,  137,  138. 
her  personal  character,  4,  65, 

119,134. 
her  children,  137  note, 
her  list  of  parts,  147-153. 
her  A7igela  in  "  Castle  Spec- 
tre," 51. 
her    BelviJe7'a     in    "  Venice 

Preserved,"  42-43,  63. 
her  Cala7ithe  in  "  Damon  and 

Pythias,"  38,  51. 


INDEX. 


173 


Duff,  Mrs.  : 

her  Cordelia  in  "  King  Lear," 
105. 

her  Countess  of  Loz'elaugk  in 
"  Rochester,"  27. 

her  Desdefuotia  in  "  Othello," 
III. 

her  Ellen  Douglas  in  "The 
Knight  of  Snowdoun,"  53. 

her  Emma  in  "  Wm.  Tell,"  50. 

her  Florinda  in  "  The  Apos- 
tate," 36,  42. 

her  Helen  Macgregor'wv  "  Rob 

Roy,"  77- 
her  Hermione  in  "The  Dis- 

trest  Mother,"  26,   28,  30- 

31,37,44,78,83. 
her   Imogine   in   "  Bertram," 

39.  79- 

her  Isabella  in  "  Isabella,"  36, 
46,  48,  84,  88-90,  119,  127. 

her  Jane  Shore,  61,  94,  97, 
109. 

her  Juliet  in  "  Romeo  and 
Juliet,"  II,  52-53,  54. 

her  Katheriiie  in  "Taming 
of  the  Shrew,"  34. 

her  Lady  Macbeth,  3,  39,  1 1 5. 

her  Lady  Randolph  in  "  Doug- 
las," 28,  51. 

her  Mary  in  "  Superstition," 
41,98. 

her  Mathilde  in  "  The  Bohe- 
mian Mother,"  99. 

her  Meg  Merrilies  in  "  Guy 
Mannering,"  36. 

her  Mme.  Clermont  in  *'  Adri- 
an and  Orilla,"  42,  44,  65, 
75.  76,  83. 

her  Mrs.  Beverley  in  "  The 
Gamester,"  39,  53,  62. 


Duff,  Mrs.  : 

her    Airs.    Haller    in    "The 

Stranger,"  34. 
her  N'ahmeokee  in  "  Metamo- 

ra,"  103,  122. 
her  Ophelia  in  "  Hamlet,"  28, 

29. 31.  ZZ- 

her  Queen  Katherine  in 
"  Henry  VHL,"  63. 

her  Rosalind,  33. 

her  Roxana  in  "  Alexander 
the  Great,"  39. 

her  Sigismonda  in  "  Tancred 
and   Sigismonda,"    18,  31, 

32- 

her  Tidlia  in  "Brutus,"  51. 

Bell's  Messenger  on  her  act- 
ing, 88,  91. 

J.  B.  Booth  (elder)  on  her 
acting,  z-^. 

Boston  Advertiser  on  her 
acting,  98. 

Boston  (Columbian)  Centinel 
on  her  acting,  23,  29. 

Boston  Courier  on  her  act- 
ing, 85. 

Boston  Gazette  on  her  acting, 
30,  44,  83,  84. 

Boston  Traveller  on  her  act- 
ing, 84,  85,  99. 

W.W.Clapp  on  her  acting,  1 1 . 

John  Gilbert  on  her  acting, 
3»96- 

Wm.  Gowans  on  her  acting, 
65. 

Horace  Greeley  on  her  act- 
ing, 3.  "S- 

"Jacques"  in  U.  S.  Gazette, 
on  her  acting,  50-53. 

Edmund  Kean  on  her  acting, 
3,29,42,  75. 


174 


INDEX, 


D24J,  Mrs.  : 

London  Age  on  her  acting, 
8S. 

London  Atlas  on  her  acting, 
88. 

London  Gazette  on  her  act- 
ing, 88. 

London  Theatrical  Observer 
on  her  acting,  8S,  91. 

'•  Marcus  "  on  her  acting.  54. 

New  York  Albion  on  her 
acting,  27,  39,   56,  65,  76, 

78,  91- 

New  York  American  on  her 
acting,  38. 

New  York  Courier  and  En- 
quirer on  her  acting,  113. 

New  York  Emerald  on  her 
acting,  42. 

New  York  Enquirer  on  her 
acting,  75. 

New  York  Evening  Post  on 
her  acting,  37,  61,  75. 

New  York  Herald  on  her 
acting,  129. 

New  York  Mirror  on  her  act- 
ing, 38.  55.  77,  78,  79.  109. 

Philadelphia  Gazette  on  her 
acting,  127. 

Wm.  M.  Price  on  her  acting, 
3.67- 

Mrs.  Trollope  on  her  acting, 
105. 

F.  C.  \Vemyss  on  her  acting, 
41. 

Wm.  Wood  on  her  acting,  17, 

35,  41. 
Z>!(f,  Mary  C    IV.   (younger), 
(Mrs.    Augustus    A.    Ad- 
dams,  Mrs.  J.  G.  Porter) : 
her  debut,  112. 


Duf,  Mary  : 

her  first  appearance  in  New 

York,  116. 
her  first  appearance  in  Bos- 
ton, 117. 
sketch  of  her  career,  137  note. 
Philadelphia  Album  on  her 

acting,  116. 
mention,  124,  125,  126,  137. 

Duff, Matilda  (Mme.  Reillieux), 
122,  138  note,  140, 141  note. 

Dziff,  Thomas  Thatcher,  135, 164. 
sketch  of,  138  note. 

Diff,  Wm.  F.,  138  note. 

Duff,  Mrs.  Wm.  F.,  164. 

Dimlap,  Wm.,  108. 

Durand,  A.  B.,  18. 

Durang,  Charles,  25,  34,  43,  55. 

Durang,  Mrs.  Charles  (Mary 
White),  34,  43,90, 108,  121, 
122,  135,  164. 

"  Durazzo,"  155. 

Dyke,  Ann  (Mrs.  Wm.  Mur- 
ray), 6,  8,  92. 

Dyke,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Thos. 
Moore),  6,  7,  92. 

Dyke,  Mary  Attn.  See  Mrs- 
Duff. 

Dyke,  Mrs.  (mother  of  Mrs. 
Duff),  5,  92. 

Dykes,  Wm.,  21. 

"  East  Indian,  The,"  106,  153. 
Eberle,    Elizabeth    (Mrs.    Wm. 

Kent),  124. 
Eberle,  H.,  loS. 
Eberle,  Mr.    (of   Boston).    102 

note,  103. 
"Edgar,"  33,  151,  160. 
Edinburgh,  Scotland,  8. 
"  Education,"  152,  156. 


INDEX. 


175 


"  Ella  Rosenberg,"  149, 161, 162. 
Ellistoir,  Robert  IV.,  9. 
Emerald  (New  York),  42. 
Enquirer,  New  York,  75. 
Entwisfle,  James ,  10,  12. 
Ent-wistle,   Mrs.  (Mrs.  Mason, 

Mrs.  Crooke),  18    19,  43- 
"  Ethiop,  The,"  22,42,  100,  108, 

148,  152,  157. 
Eustap/iieve,  Mr.,  67,  68,  70. 
"Evadne,"  100,  149,  156. 
Evening  Post  (New  York),  37, 

58,61,  75. 
"Every  One  Has  his  Faults," 

103,  150,  156,  162. 
Ewiiig,  Mrs.,  121. 
"Exchange  no  Robbery,"  150, 

162. 
"Exile,  The,"  14,   15,  49,  i47> 

148,  157. 
Eyre,  Edmond  Jo/m,  16. 

"Falls  of  Clyde,"  23,  149, 
160. 

"Farmer's  Wife,"  23,  151. 

Farren,  Mrs.  Geo.,  164. 

"  Fate  of  a  Gamester,"  108, 147. 

"Fate  of  Galas,"  159. 

Faulkner,  Thos.  ("  Irish  Faulk- 
ner"), 61,  64,  107. 

Federal  Street  Theatre,  Bos- 
ton, 8,  83,  93,  95. 

Fir  on,  Mme.,  97. 

Field,  J.M.,  118. 

Field,  Mrs.  J.  M.  (Eliza  Rid- 
dle), 109. 

Field,  Kate,  118. 

Fielding,  Hej^ry,  81. 

Fielding,  Mr.  (of  Philadelphia), 
48. 

Finriy  Henry  James,  44,  93. 


Finn  and  Kilner,  93. 

Fisher,  Alexina  (Mrs.  Baker), 
III,  124,  164. 

Fisher,  Amelia,  94. 

Fisher,   Clara    (Mrs.  Maeder), 
96,  120,  143  note, 
her  first  engagement  in  New 
York,  82. 

Fisher,  Jane  M.  (Mrs.  Vernon), 
94. 

Fisher,  Mr.  (of  Boston),  10,  12. 

Fisher,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Ghapman  -  Richardson  -Jef- 
ferson), 135,  164. 

Flynn,  Thos.,  106,  120. 

Flynn,  Mrs.  Thos.,  106,  120. 

"  Folly  as  it  Flies,"  48, 149, 150, 
163. 

"  Fontainville  Forest,"  159. 

Foote,  Maria  (Countess  of  Har- 
rington), 91. 

"Forest  of  Bondy,  The,"  159. 

'^  Forest  of  Hermanstadt,  The," 
23,  148. 

Foj-nasari,  Signor,  120. 

Forrest,  Edwin,  3,  25,  49,  d^^^ 
64,  65,  78,  79,  84,  85,  94, 
loi,  102,  103,  104, 107,  III, 
117,  120,  122,  143. 

"  Fortress,  The,"  148,  156. 

"  Fortune's  Frolic,"  6. 

"  Forty  Thieves,  The,"  13,  151, 
158. 

Foster,  Rebecca  (Mrs.  Gharles 
Young),  60,  64. 

"  Foundling  of  the  Forest,The," 
31,40,  49,  54-55'  "2,  117, 
125,  133'  149'  156,  158- 

Francis,  VVm.,  19. 

Frajuis,  Mrs.  IVm.,  19. 

Frankford,  Pa.,  121,  122. 


176 


INDEX. 


Franklin  Theatre,  New  York, 
126,  128. 

French,  Rosalie  (Mrs.  Wm.  Pel- 
by),  27,  58,  96,  97. 

"  Frightened  to  Death,"  133, 
149,  161. 

Front  Street  Theatre,  Balti- 
more, 123. 


"  Gamester,  The,"  39,  43,  53, 

54,  56,  61,  62,106,113,148, 

151,  156,  162. 
Gannon,  Mary,  127. 
Gates,  Wm.  F.,  128. 
Gazette  (Boston),  9,  15,  30,  44, 

83,  84. 
"  Gazette  Extraordinary,"  149, 

162, 
Gazette  (London),  88. 
Gazette  (Philadelphia),  127. 
Gazette  (United  States),  50. 
Geneste,  Rev.  Mr.,  47. 
"George  Barnwell,"  151,  158. 
Gibso7i,  Dr.,  47. 
Gilbert,  John,  3,  164. 

his  debut,  96. 
Gilfert,  Charles  Afitonio,  58-60, 

77.  I 

his  legal  battle  on  account  of  ! 

Mrs.  Duff,  66  et  seq.  \ 

Gilfert,   Mrs.    Chas.   A.    (Miss 

Holman),   20,  60,  61. 
"Gladiator,  The,"  152. 
Glover,  yT/rj.  (Miss  Betterton), 

24. 
"  Golden    Farmer,    The,"   125, 

127,  128,  148. 
Goldsmith,  Oliver,  81. 
Gowans,   Wm.,  his   opinion  of 

Mrs.  Duff,  65. 


Graham,  David,  71,  73. 
Graham,  John,  10,  12. 
Graup7ier,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  Heelyer), 

12. 
Gray,  "jfackson,  118. 
"  Grecian  Daughter,  The,"  161. 
Greeley  Horace,  3,  115. 
Green,  Charles,  108. 
"  Green  Man,  The,"  150,  157. 
Green,  Wm.,  21. 
Green,   Mrs.   Wm.  (Miss  Wil- 

lems),  19. 
Greenwood  Cemetery,  141. 
Gree?twood,      Miss       (Caroline 

Chapman),  108. 
"  Guy  Mannering,"  36,  151,  157. 


Hackett,  James  H.,  83,  103- 

104,  143  note. 
Hackett,  Jno.  K.,  164. 
Hadaway,  Thos.  H,  125. 
Hall,  A.  Oakey,  164. 
Hamblin,    Thos.  S.,  49,  63,  64, 

97,  104,  109,  120. 
Hamblin,      Mrs.     Thomas    S. 

(Elizabeth  Blanchard,  Mrs. 

Charles),  49,  104,  126. 
Hamblin,  Mrs.  Thos.  S.  (Mrs. 

Shaw),  133. 
Hamilton,  Esther  (Mrs.  Young, 

Mrs.  Hughes),  21,  60,  61, 

94,  105. 
Hamilton,  Miss,  108. 
"  Hamlet,"  9,  15,  22,  28,  -^^i,  41, 

loi,  106,  152,  158. 
Harrington,  Countess  of  ( Maria 

Foote),  91. 
Hatfield,  Richard,  67. 
"  Heart  of  Mid  Lothian,  The," 

27.  57,  iSo>  162. 


INDEX. 


77 


Ileelyer,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  Graupner), 

"  Heir-at-Law,  The,"  148,  157, 

159- 

"  Helpless  Animals,"  161. 

"  Henri  IV.,"  150,  158,  159. 

"Henri  Quatre,"  157. 

Henry,  A?tn  Jane  (Mrs.  Geo.  H. 
Barrett),  10,  43,  60,  64,  76? 
94,  loi,  102,  102  note,  103- 

Henry,  Mr.,  10. 

"  Henry  VHI.,"  63,  152,  157. 

Herald  (New  York),  129. 

"  Hero  of  Scotland,  The,"  29. 

"  Hero  of  the  North,  The,"  158. 

"  He  Would  be  a  Soldier,"  156. 

Higgins,  Mrs.,  118. 

"Highland  Widow,  The,"  112, 
149. 

"  High  Life  Below  Stairs,"  159. 

Hill,  George  Handel  {"Y2Ln]^Qt 
Hill  "),  107,  120. 

Hilson,  Thos.,  120,  121. 

Hilson,Mrs.  T^^^j.  (Ellen  John- 
son), 34,  37,  103,  120,  121. 

Historical  Society  of  New 
York,  165. 

Hodgkinson,  John,  9. 

Holla?id,  George,  33. 

Holliday  Street  Theatre,  Bal- 
timore, 105,  123. 

Holnian,  Joseph  G.,  20. 

Holnian,  Miss  (Mrs.  Charles  A. 
Gilfert),  20,  60,  61. 

Hobnan,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  C.  W. 
Sandford),  34. 

"  Honest  Thieves,  The,"  105, 
162. 

"Honeymoon,  The,"  12,  16, 
22,34,  150,  153,  157. 

Horace,  78. 


Horn,  Charles  E.,  97,  120. 
Hoiipt,  Charles  J.,  118. 
"House  of  Aspen,"  104, 105,149. 
"  How  to  Die  for  Love,"  156. 
Hubbard,  Dr.  Sanmel  T.,  164. 
Hughes,  Elizabeth,  120. 
Hughes,  Walter,  21,  43. 
Hughes,  Mrs.    Walter   (Esther 

Hamilton,    Mrs.    Young), 

21,  60,  61,  94,  105. 
Hunt,  Henry,  96. 
"  Hunter  of  the   Alps,   The," 

149,  157. 
Hyatt,  George  P.,  61,  64,  78,  loi, 

102  note. 

Inchbald,  Mrs.  Elizabeth, 

103. 
"  Incog,"  147. 
Ingersoll,  David,  128. 
Ingersoll,    Mrs.    David  (Mary 

Ann  Jefferson),  128. 
"  Innkeeper's  Daughter,  The," 

2,  24,  151,  161. 
"  Irishman  in   London,  The," 

160. 
"Irish Tutor,  The,"  162. 
"Iron  Chest,  The,"  147,  161. 
Irving,  Judge  Johti   T.,  3,  66, 

71,75- 
"  Isabella,"  36,  84,  87,  88,  105, 

149,  156. 
"  Is  He  a  Prince  ?  "  160. 
Ishenuood,  Henry,  164. 
Isherwood,  Wm.,  123. 
"  Ivanhoe,"  104,  152,  156,   159, 

161. 

Jackson,  Abraham  W.,  124. 

"  Jane  Shore,"  13, 6r,  82, 94, 97, 

109,  no,  150,  157,  159. 


178 


INDEX. 


"Jealous  Wife, The,"  159. 

Jefferson,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Chap- 
man -  Richardson  -  Fisher), 
135,  164. 

Jefferson,  John,  43. 

Jefferson,  Joseph  (first  Ameri- 
can Jefferson),  19,  48,  128, 

135- 

Jefferson,  Mrs.  Joseph  (Euphe- 
mia  Fortune),  wife  of 
above,  19. 

Jefferson,  Joseph  (second  Amer- 
ican Jefferson),  130. 

Jefferso7i,  Mrs.  Joseph  (Corne- 
lia Frances  Thomas,  Mrs. 
Burke),  wife  of  above,  58. 

Jefferson,  Joseph  ("Rip  Van 
Winkle  "),  19,  22,  130  note. 

Jefferson,  Mary  Anne  (Mrs. 
David  IngersoU),  128. 

Je7iks,  Mrs.  S.  Haynes,  164. 

"Jew,  The,"  II,  148,  158. 

Joannes,  Comif  (Geo.  Jones), 
loi,  102,  102  note,  103. 

"Joan  of  Arc,"  157. 

"John  Bull,"  151,  157,  161,  163. 

Johnso7i,  Ellen  (Mrs.  Hilson), 
34,  37,  103,  120,  121. 

Jones  Fanny  ( Mrs.  Henry  Wal- 
lack),  43,  55. 

Jones,  George  (''  Count  Joan- 
nes "),  Id,  102,  102  note, 
103. 

Jones,  J.  S.,  102  note,  103. 

Jones,  Mrs.  Charles,  87. 

Jones,  Wm.,  102  note,  103,  124. 

Jones,  Mrs.  Wm.,  102  note,  125. 

"Julian,"  104,  147. 

"Julius  Ccesar,"  56,  152,  156, 
160. 


"  Katherine     and     Petru- 

CHio,"  34,  148,   150,  161. 
Kean,  Charles,  90,  106,  120. 
Kean,     Mrs.     Charles     (Ellen 

Tree),  113,  145. 
Kean,   Edmund,  17,  28,  45,  49, 

80,  81,  84,  103. 
his    association    with     Mrs. 

Duff,  3,  30;  32,  42. 
his  opinion  of  her  acting,  3, 

29,  42,  75. 
Keene,  Arthur  F.,  58,  76. 
Kemble,  Charles,  46,  102,  120. 
Kemble,   Mrs.    Charles    (Maria 

Theresa  DeCamp),  18,  21. 
Kemble,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  C.  E. 

Whitelock),  20. 
Kemble,  Fanny   (Mrs.  P.    But- 
ler),   102,    115,    118,    120, 

145. 
"Kenilworth,"  42,  152. 
Kent,  Wm.,  124. 
Ke7it,  Mrs.'Wm.  (Elizabeth  Eb- 

erle),  124. 
Kilkenny,  Ireland,  5. 
Kilner  and  Clark,  32. 
Kilner,   Thos.,   32,   43,  93,  94, 

loi,  103. 
Kilner,  Mrs.  Thos.,  43. 
"  King  John,"  40, 102  note,  150, 

157,  159- 
"King  Lear," 64,  105,  148,  147, 

159- 

King's  Theatre,  London  (Op- 
era House,  Haj-market),  5. 

"Kiss,  The,"  156. 

Knight,  Mrs.  Edward  (Mary 
Ann  Povey),  100. 

"  Knight  of  Snowdoun,  The," 

IS.  53. 149. 161. 

Knowles,  James  Sheridan,  48. 


INDEX. 


179 


"  Know  Your  Own  Mind,"  yi^, 
ISO,  157- 

Lacombe,  Mrs.  CClarissa  Al- 
len), 43. 
"  Ladies  at  Home,"  1 50. 
"  Lady  and  the  Devil,  The,"  160. 
"Lady  of  the  Lake,  The,"  15, 

53,  74,  149,  161. 
"Lady  of  the  Rock, The,"  159. 
"  LaFayette,"  156. 
Lafayette  Theatre,  New  York, 

57-58.  69,  70. 
Lane,  Louisa  (Mrs. Henry  Hunt, 

Mrs.  John  Drew),  87,  164. 
Langton,  Mr.,  103. 
"  Laugh  When  You  Can,"  14, 

44,  149,  151,  158. 
Law  son,  Jatnes,  164. 
Leesugg,  Eliza  (Mrs.  Brevoort, 

Mrs.  Sharpe),  103. 
Legge,    Mrs.    (Mrs.    Bannister, 

Mrs.  Stone),  109. 
Leman,  Walter M.,  io2note,i03. 
Liverpool,  England,  86. 
Locke,  Miss,  6. 
Logan,  Celia,  61. 
Logan,  Cornelius  A.,  61. 
Logan,  Eliza,  61. 
Loga7t,  Olive,  61. 
London,  England,   5,  7,  9,  18, 

24.  30,  33»  47.  86,  87,  88, 

90,  92,  113. 
London  Age,  88. 
London  Atlas,  88. 
London  Gazette,  88. 
London   Theatrical    Observer, 

88,  91. 
Longacre,  Jas.   B.   (engraver), 

42. 
"  Love  a  la  Mode,"  161,  162. 


"  Love  Laughs  at  Locksmiths," 

108,  156. 

"  Love  Makes  a  Man,"  147, 156. 
"Lovers'  Vows,"  48,  147. 
Lopez  and  Wemyss,  42. 
Lopez,  IV.,  42. 
Ludlozu,  N.  M.,  132,  164. 
Luria,  Abraham,  164. 
"Lyieushee  Lovell,"  151. 

"Macbeth,"  3,  15,  16,  21,  39, 

56,  III,  115,  117,  150,  155, 

160. 
Maclay,  Wm.  B.,  164. 
Macready,  Wm.  C,  47,  84,  87. 
Maeder,  Mrs.  James  G.  (Clara 

Fisher),   82,   96,    120,    143 

note. 
"Maid  and  Magpie,   The,"  2, 

23,79,  106,  147,  157- 
"  Maid  of  Milan,  The,"  94,  148. 
"  Maid  of  the  Oaks,  The,"  157. 
"  Man  and  Wife,"  116, 156, 157. 
"  Man  of  Ten  Thousand,  The," 

147,  157- 
"  Man  of  the  World,  The,"  148, 

150.  157. 
"  Manuel,"  153,  160. 
"Marmion,"  18,  148,  160, 
"Mary  Glastonbury,"  151. 
"Mary  Stuart,"  loi,  151. 
Mason,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  Entwistle), 

18,  19,  43- 
Mass.  Historical  Society,  164. 
Mathews,  Charles  (elder),  17. 
Mathews,  Cornelius,  164. 
Maywood,  Robert  C,  25,  39,  45, 

58,  77,93,  III. 
Maywood,  Mrs.  R.  C.  (Mrs.  H. 

A.  Williams),  60,  64,  104, 

109,  no. 


i8o 


INDEX. 


"  Mazeppa"  (Payne's),  14,  148, 

160. 
Mc Bride,  Cecilia,  102  note. 
McCidlough,  John,  90  note. 
McKee,  Tlwvias  J.,  58. 
"Melmoththe  Wanderer,"  108, 

149. 
Melton,  Miss,  133. 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  137. 
Mercantile  Library,  Baltimore, 

165. 
Mercantile     Library,      Cincin- 
nati, 165. 
Mercantile  Library,  St.  Louis, 

165. 
"Merchant   of   Venice,    The," 

98,  105,  152,  155,158,162. 
"Merry    Wives    of    Windsor, 

The,"  158. 
Mestayer,    Anna   Maria    (Mrs. 

Chas.  R.  Thorne,  Sr.),  124. 
Mestayer,  Emily,  164. 
Mestayer,  Mr.,  124. 
"Metamora,"  25,  61,  102,  103, 

122,  152. 
"  Miantonimoh,"  107,  152. 
"Midas,"  155. 

"Midnight  Hour,  The,"  159. 
"Miller  and  His  Men,  The," 

14S,  158. 
"Mirandola,"  158. 
Mirror  (New  York),  38,  55,  -]-], 

78,  79,  109. 
Mitford,  Mary  Russell,  97,  104. 
Moore,  Thomas,  8. 

his  love  for  Mary  Ann  Dyke 

(Mrs.  Duff),  6-7. 
his   marriage    to    Elizabeth 

Dyke,  6. 
his  poem  to  Mary  Ann  Dyke, 

6-7. 


Moore,  Mrs.    TJios.  (Elizabeth 

Dyke),  6,  7,  92. 
Moreland,   Henry    George,    34, 

43- 
"  More  Ways  than  One,"  147. 
Morris,  George  P.,  55. 
Morton,  Thomas,  15,  16,  20. 
"  Mountaineers,  The,"  8,   149, 

153.  159,  160. 
"Much  Ado  About  Nothing," 

155- 

Mude  Mr.,  87. 

Mud  Theatre  (Adelphi),  Balti- 
more, 105,  106. 

Munsel,  Joel,  164. 

Murdoch,  Jas.  E.,  112,  122. 

Mia-phy,  Arthur,  y^. 

Mtcrray,  Miss  (Mrs.  Henry  Sid- 
dons),  8. 

Murray,  Wm.,  8. 

Murray,  Mrs.  Wm.  (Miss  Ann 
Dyke),  6,  8,  92. 

Muzzy,  Charles  E.,  118. 

Muzzy,  Mrs.  Charles  E.,  1 18. 

"My  Uncle,"  158. 

Naples,  Italy,  82. 

National     Chatham     Theatre, 

N.  Y.,  143  note. 
Neajie,  J.  A.  J.,  164. 
N'eagle,  John,  iS,  41. 
"  Netley  Abbey,"  160. 
New     City    Theatre,    Boston, 

(Washington       Gardens), 

33- 
New   Orleans,    La.,    119,    131, 

133.    134,    136,    138.    140, 
165. 
"  New  Way  to  Pay  Old  Debts," 
163. 


INDEX. 


8l 


New  York,  2,  3,  17  note,  18, 
19,  20,  21,  25,  32,  34,  37, 
38,  39,  40,  42,  43,  44,  54, 
56,  57,  58,  60,  64,  65,  66, 
72,  79,  82,  93,  103, 105,  106, 
107,  108,  112,  114,  115, 116, 
117,  119,  121,  126,  128, 132, 
135,  140,  141,  142,  145- 

New  York  Albion,  y],  39,  43, 
56,  65,  76,  78,  91. 

New  York  American,  38. 

New  York  Courier  and  En- 
quirer, 113. 

New  York  Emerald,  42. 

New  York  Enquirer,  75. 

New  Yorker,  115. 

New  York  Evening  Post,  37, 
58,  61,  75- 

New  York  Herald,  129. 

New  York  Historical  Society, 
165. 

New  York  Mirror,  38,  55,  77, 
78,  79,  109. 

New  York  Society  Library,  165. 

New  York  Theatre  (Bowery 
Theatre),  40,  60,  61,  63,  64, 
65,  68,  71,  72,  74,  75,  -](>, 
77,  108,  120,  128. 

Nexsen,  Gilbert,  103. 

"Ninth  Statue,  The,"  159. 

Noah,  M.  M.,  25. 


"  Of  Age  Tomorrow,"  8, 155. 
O'Neill,  Miss  (Lady    Becher), 

6,  47,  61,  65,  91,  94. 
"  Oroonoko,"  160. 
Orphan    Boys'    Asylum,    New 

Orleans,  133. 
"  Orphan  of  Geneva,  The,"  ^iZ^ 

99. 


"Oscar  and  Malvina,"  11,   12, 

16,  151,  156,  160. 
"  Othello,"  13,  22,  102,  III,  148, 

149,  159,  161. 
Otivay,  Thomas,  62. 
Oxley,  John  H.,  122,  124. 

Page,  Charles,  129. 

Page,  Col.  James,  164. 

Fapanii,  Mrs.  (Miss  Trazetta, 
Mrs.  Gray),  98,  102  note. 

Parker,  Sarah,  103. 

Park  Theatre,  New  York,  3, 
17  note,  34,  27,  38.  40,  82, 
93,  103,  120,  135,  139  note, 
143  note,  145. 

Parsons,  Charles  B.,  133. 

"  Pastor's  Daughter,  The,"  159. 

Payne,  John  Howard,  14, 15,  33, 
34,  94,  160. 

Pearman,  Wm.,  41. 

Pearson,  H.  G ,  133. 

Pedrotti,  Signora,  120. 

Pelby, Ophelia  (Mrs.  Anderson), 
109. 

Pelby,  Wm.,  21,  27,  48. 

Pelby,  Mrs.  Wm.  (Rosalie 
French),  27,  58,  96,  97. 

"Personation,"  159. 

"Peter  the  Great,"  161. 

Petrie,  Eliza  (Mrs.  Place),  118. 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  2,  15,  16,  17, 
18,19,20,22,  24,  25,34,40, 
41,  47,  49,  54,  66,  72,  74, 
79,  96,  106,  107,  III,  112, 
114, 116,  122, 123,  124,  125, 
127,  129,  132  note,  135,  138, 
141,  142,  145. 

Philadelphia  Album,  116. 

Philadelphia  Aurora,  19. 

Philadelphia  Gazette,  127. 


I82 


INDEX. 


Philadelphia  Library,  165. 
Philadelphia  Theatre,  15. 
Philipps,  Thos.y  24,  25. 
Phillips,  Moses  S.,  1 1 9. 
Phillips,  Sophia,  96. 
"Pirate,  The,"  151,  160. 
Pittsburg,  Pa.,  122. 
Pittsburg  Theatre,  122. 
"Pizarro,"  14,  22,  98,  iii,  148, 

149,  160,  161. 
Place,  Mrs.  (Eliza  Petrie),  118. 
Placide,  Caroline  (Mrs.  W.  R. 

Blake),  43,  55,  56,76,  127, 

164. 
Placide,  Jane,  44,  118. 
Placide,  Thomas,  103. 
Plumer,  Mrs.  (Miss  Cramer), 

133- 
"  Point  of  Honor,"  24,  147, 162, 

163. 

Polyanthos  (Boston),  17  note. 

Ponsonby,  Hon.  George,  6. 

"Poor  Gentleman,  The,"  149, 
158. 

"Poor  Lodger,  The,"  162. 

"  Poor  Soldier,  The,"  161. 

Porter,  Charles,  49,  105,  108. 

Porter,  J.  C,  124. 

Porter,  Mrs.  J.  G.  (Mrs.  A.  A. 
Addams).    See  Mary  Duff. 

Povey,  John.  103. 

Povey,  Mary  Ann  (Mrs.  Ed- 
ward Knight),  100. 

Powell,  Snelling,  8,  20. 

Powell,  Mrs.  Snelling,  12,  16, 
22,  32. 

Powell  and  Dickson,  8,  20. 

Power,  R.,  6. 

Price,  Stephen,  3,  40,  92. 

Price,  Wm.  M.,  3,  67,  71. 

"  Prodigal,  The,"  155. 


Providence,  R.   I.,   13,  20,  22, 

24,  26,  94. 
Providence  Athenaeum,  165. 
Providence  Theatre,  13,  20,  22, 

24,  26,  94. 
"Provoked     Husband,    The," 

150,  159. 
Public  Library,  Boston,  165. 

QuiNCY,  III.,  135,  138  note. 

Rachel,  Mlle.,  i. 

Racine,  26,  31,  54. 

"  Raising  the  Wind,"  159. 

"  Recruiting  Officer,  The,"  156. 

Rees,  James,  138,  164. 

"  Reformation,"  160. 

Reillieiix,  Mme.  (Matilda  Duff), 

122,  138  note,  140,  141. 
"  Remorse,"  148,  157. 
"  Renegade,  The,"  147,  162. 
"  Returned  Killed,"  75,  160. 
"Revenge,"  15,  150,  156. 
"Review,  The,"  14,  16,  56,  149, 

159 
Reynolds,  Frederick,  14. 
Rice,  John  B.,  164. 
Rice,  Mrs.  John  B.,  164. 
"Richard  II.,"  100,  152. 
"Richard  ni.,"ii,  17,  32,  zz^ 

49,  64,  103,  150,  152,  157, 

159- 
Richardson,     Mrs.     ( Elizabeth 

Jefferson,  Mrs.  Chapman, 

Mrs.  Fisher),  135,  164. 
"  Riches,"  150. 
Richiugs,  Peter,  103. 
Richmond,  Va.,  135,  136. 
Richmond  Hill  Theatre,  New 

York,   112,   113,    114,  115, 

119,  120. 


INDEX. 


183 


Richmond  Theatre  (Va.),   19, 

136. 
Riddle,     Eliza     (Mrs.    J.     M. 

Field),  109. 
Riddle,    Sarah    (Mrs.    W.    H. 

Smith),  56. 
"  Rienzi,"  97,  148. 
"  Right  or  Wrong,"  160. 
Ristori,  Mt?ie.,  i. 
"  Rivals,  The,"  22,  27,  150,  157, 

162. 
"  Road  to  Ruin,  The,"  60,  158. 
"  Robbers,  The,"  42,  i47i  158. 
"Robber's    Wife,    The,"    113, 

117,  152. 
Roberts,  James,   27,   55,  56,  58, 

61,  64,  71,  74,  76,  94- 
Roberts,  Mrs.  James,  71. 
Roberts,  Mr.  (of  Boston),  12. 
Robertson,  IV/n.,  10,  12. 
"  Robinson  Crusoe,"  161. 
"Rob  Roy,"  76-78,  149,  161. 
"Rochester,"  27,  104,  148,  157. 
"  Roland  for  an  Oliver,"  155. 
"  Romeo  and  Juliet,"  10,  11,  22, 

35.52,  53,  54,150,160,161. 
Ross,   Sarah    (Mrs.    Frederick 

Wheatley),  21. 
Rowbotham,  H.  H.,  109. 
Roivbotham,  Mrs.  H.  H.,  109. 
Rowe,  George,  164. 
Rowe,  Mrs.  George  ( Louisa  Sey- 
mour), 118. 
Rowe,  Nicholas,  82,  no. 
Roy,  Mr.,  128. 
"  Rule   a   Wife    and    Have  a 

Wife,"  16,  159,  160. 
Russell,  Earl,  7,  164. 
Russell,  J.,  87. 

Russell,  Richard,  112,  1 1 5,  1 1 6. 
Russell,  Mrs.  Richard,  118. 


Salem,  Mass,  93. 

Salem  Theatre,  93. 

Salomon,  E.,  164. 

Sandford,    Charles  W.,  57,  70, 

164. 
Sandford,   Mrs.     C.    W.   (Mrs. 

J.  G.   Holman,  Miss  Lat- 

mer),  34. 
Savannah,  Ga.,  86. 
Schiller,  loi. 
"  School  for  Scandal,  The,"  21, 

151,  156,  159. 
"  School  of  Reform,  The,"  150, 

151,  158. 
Scott,  Jajnes  M.  ("  Long  Tom 

Coffin"),  55,    56,   94,  loi, 

102  note,  103,  104,  109, 118. 
Scott,  John  R.,  III. 
Scott,  Sir    Walter,  15,   18,  104, 

112. 
Seaver,  Benj.  W.,  164. 
Seaver{ox^t.-\\tx),  JoelG.,  129- 

131,  134- 

Seaver,  Mrs.  Joel  G.     See  Mrs. 

Duff. 
"  Secrets     Worth     Knowing," 

16,  44,  151,  152,  t6i. 
Sefton,  John,  106,  122,  124,  127, 

128-129. 
Seft07i,  W?n.,  122,  124,  127. 
Sefton,  Airs.    Wm.    (Ann   Duff 

Waring,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Wal- 

lack,  Jr.),  164, 
Senior,  A.  A.,  164. 
"Sergeant's  Wife,  The,"    118, 

150. 
Sevier  (or  Seaver),  Joel  G.,  129- 

131,  134- 
Seymour,  Louisa  (Mrs.   George 
Rowe),  118. 


1 84 


INDEX. 


Shakespeare,  lo,  22,  33,   54,  63, 

64,  100. 
Sharpe,  Mrs.  Eliza  (Miss  Lee- 

sugg,  Mrs.  Brevoort),  103. 
Shaw,  Mrs.  (Eliza  Marian  Tre- 

war,  Mrs.  Thos.   S.   Ham- 

blin),  133. 
"  She  Stoops  to  Conquer/'  151, 

163. 
"She    Would   be   a   Soldier," 

25,  147,  159. 
Shell,   Richard  Lalor,   46,    58, 

100. 
Sheridan,   Richard  B.,  22,  23, 

27. 
Siddons,     Mrs.     Henry   (Miss 

Murray),  8. 
Siddons,  Sarah,  I,  20,  22,  25,  57, 

61,  84,  89,  90,  91,  94. 
"  Siege  of  Belgrade,  The,"  156. 
Simpson,  Alex.,  43. 
Simpson,  Edmund,  38,  39,  40. 
"  Simpson  and  Co.,"'  125,  151. 
Simpson,  Mrs.  (Charlotte  Bald- 
win, Mrs.  J.  W.  Walstein), 

43.  55.  56,  58- 

"Slave,  The,"  116,  153,158. 

Smith,  J.  R.  (scene  painter), 
no. 

Smith,  Mark,  132. 

Smith,  Sol  (elder),  132. 

Smith,  Thos.  L.,  67. 

Stnith,  IVm.  H.,  100,  lOI,  102 
note,  103. 

Smith,  Mrs.  W.  H.  (Sarah  Rid- 
dle), 56. 

Society  Library,  New  York, 
165. 

"Soldier's  Daughter, The,"  151, 
158. 

Somerville,  Mr.,  43. 


"Somnambulist,  The,"  112. 
"  Sons  of  Erin,  The,"  151,  158, 
Southern,  Thos.,  89. 
Southwell,  Henry,  97. 
"Speed  the  Plough,"  151,  152, 

156. 
Spiller,  Mr.,  43. 
"Spy,  The,"  149,  156. 
State  Library,  Albany,  N.  Y., 

164. 
St.  Charles  Theatre,  New  Or- 
leans, 133, 
Stevenson,  George,  55. 
Stez'ensoji,  Mrs.  George,  164. 
Stez'enson,  Jonathati  D.,  70,  73. 
"Steward,  The,"  160. 
St.     John's     Cemetery,     New 

York,  60. 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  132,  165. 
St.  Louis   Mercantile  Library, 

165. 
St.  Louis  Theatre  (Mo.),  132. 
Stockivell,Mr.,  12. 
Stone,  H.  D.,  164. 
Stojie,   John  Augustus,   43,  61, 

102. 
Stone,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  Legge,   Mrs. 

Bannister),  109. 
"Stranger,  The,"  34,  100,  128, 

132,  151,  162. 
Stuart,  Mary  (Queen  of  Scots), 

lor. 
"  Students  of  Salamanca,  The," 

14S. 
"  Superstition,"  41,98,  151,  163. 
Swinbourne,    Mrs.     (Miss     E. 

Vandenhoff),  143  note. 
"Sylvester  Daggerwood,"  162. 

"  Tale  of   Mystery,  The," 
152,  156. 


INDEX. 


185 


"Tamerlane,"  152,  160. 

"  Taming  of  the  Shrew,  The," 

34,  148. 
•'  Tancred  and  Sigismonda,"  1 5, 

31,  152,  160. 
"Tekeli,"  147.  148,  162. 
"Tempest,  The,"  151,  161. 
Thayer,  Edward,  31,  33.  55'  5^, 
57,  58,  100,  loi,  102  note, 
124,  128. 
Theatre  Royal,  Dublin,  87. 
Theatre  Royal,  Edinburgh,  8. 
Adelphi  Theatre,  Baltimore 

(Mud  Theatre),  105,  106. 
Albany  Theatre,  20. 
American  Theatre,  New  Or- 
leans, 133. 
Arch  Street  Theatre,    Phila- 
delphia, III,  114. 
Baltimore  Theatre,  16. 
Boston  Theatre,   8,  21,    22, 

26,  32,  37. 

Bowery  Theatre,  New  York, 

40,  60,  61,  63,  64,  65,  71, 

72,  74,  75.  76,  77,  108,  120, 

128. 

Brighton  Theatre  (Eng.),  87. 

Broadway      Theatre,     New 

York,  138  note. 
Burton's  Theatre  (Chambers 

Street),  New  York,  108. 
Chatham    Garden    Theatre, 
New  York,  42,  54-56,  57, 
58,66,68,69,  70,71,72,  73, 

74,75,93- 

Chestnut  St.  Theatre,  Phila- 
delphia, 35,  66, 96, 106,  I07; 
108, 122,  123,  125, 139  note. 

Cincinnati  Theatre,  118. 

City  Theatre  (Washington 
Gardens),  Boston,  33. 


Theatres  r 

Covent  Garden  Theatre, Lon- 
don, 42,  46,  131. 

Drury  Lane  Theatre,  Lon- 
don, 87,  89-90,  91,  92,  105. 

Dublin  Theatre,  5,  8,  87. 

Federal  Street  Theatre,  Bos- 
ton, 8,  83,  93,  95. 

Franklin  Theatre, New  York, 
126,  128. 

Front  Street  Theatre,  Balti- 
more, 123. 

Holliday  Street  Theatre,  Bal- 
timore, 105, 123. 

King's  Theatre,  London  (Op- 
era House,  Haymarket),  5. 

Lafayette  theatre,  New  York, 
57-58,  69,  70. 

Mud  Theatre  (Adelphi),  Bal- 
timore, 105,  106. 

National  Chatham  Theatre, 
New  York,  143  note. 

New  City  Theatre,  Boston 
(Washington  Gardens),  33. 

New  York  Theatre  (Bowery 
Theatre),  40,  60,  61,  63, 
64,  65,  68,  71,  72,  74,  7S> 
76,  77,  108,  120,  128. 

Park  Theatre,  New  York,  3, 
17  note,  34,  37,  38,  40,  82, 
93,  103,  120,  135,  139  note, 
143  note,  145. 

Philadelphia  Theatre,  15. 

Pittsburg  Theatre,  122. 

Providence  Theatre,  13,  20, 
22,  24,  26,  94. 

Richmond      Hill      Theatre, 
New  York,  112,   113,   114, 
115,  119,  120. 
Richmond  Theatre  (Va.),  19, 
136. 


86 


INDEX. 


Theatres : 

Salem  Theatre,  93. 

St.    Charles    Theatre,    New 

Orleans,  133. 
St   Louis  Theatre,  132. 
Theatre  Royal,  Dublin,  87. 
Theatre  Royal,  Edinburgh,  8. 
Tremont     Theatre,    Boston, 

95,  96,  100,  103,  108,  117. 
Wallack's    Theatre    (Broad- 
way and   Broome  Street), 
New  York,  94,  127,  132. 
Wallack's   Theatre    (Broad- 
way and    Thirteenth    St.), 
New  York,  94,  127,  132. 
Wallack's    Theatre    (Broad- 
way and  Thirtieth  Street), 
New  York,  96. 
Walnut  Street  Theatre,  Phil- 
adelphia, 104,  109,  no,  124, 
126,  127. 
Washington    Gardens   (City 
Theatre),  Boston,  33. 
Theatrical  Observer  (London), 

88,  91. 
"  Therese,"  33,  99,  152,  156. 
Thomson,  James,  15. 
Thome,    Charles,    R.     (elder), 

124. 
Thome, Mrs.  Chas.  R.  (Ann Ma- 
ria Mestayer,  Mrs.  French), 
124. 
Thome,  James,  118. 
"Three  and    the    Deuce,"  12, 

13,  42,  43,  54,  162. 
"Three    Weeks     After     Mar- 
riage," 161. 
"  Timor  the  Tartar,"  152,  162. 
Tobin,  John,  22. 
Toedteben;;,  Augtistiis,  1 29,  1 65. 
"  Tom  and  Jerry,"  1 50,  1 59, 162. 


"  To  Marry  or  Not  To  Marry," 

163, 
"  Too    Late   for  Dinner,"  149, 

158. 
"Town  and  Country,"  20,  152, 

i6r. 
Tradesmen's  Bank,  New  York, 

69,  74- 
Traveller  (Boston),  84,  85,  99. 
Tree,     Ellen     (Mrs.      Charles 

Kean),  113,  145, 
Tremont  Theatre,  Boston,  95, 

96,  100,  103,  108,  117. 
Trewar,   Eliza    Marian    (Mrs. 

Shaw,    Mrs.    T.  S.   Ham- 

blin),  133. 
Trinity  College,  Dublin,  8. 
Trollope,  Mrs.  Frances,  105. 
Turner,  Mrs.  Wm. ,  95. 
"  Turnpike  Gate,  The,"  159. 

"Ugolino,"  48,  152,  159. 
United  States  Gazette,  50. 

"  Valentine    and    Orson," 

160,  163. 
"Vampire,  The,"  27,  150,  161. 
Vandenhoff,  John,  143  note. 
Vandenhoff,     Miss    E,      (Mrs. 

Swinbourne),  143  note. 
VaKghan,  Mr.,  10,  12. 
"  Venice  Preserved,"  32,  42,  62, 

63.82,93,96,147,159,  161. 
Vernon,    Mrs.      George     (Jar;C 

Marchant  Fisher),  94. 
"  Victorine,"  153. 
"Village  Lawyer,  The,"  162. 
Vincent,  Naomi,  120. 
"  Virginius,"4i,  153,  155. 
"  Voice  of  Nature,  The,"  161. 
Von  Leer,  Isaac,  137  note. 


INDEX. 


187 


Von  Leer,  Mrs.  Isaac  (Eliza 
Duff),  137,  137  note. 

"Votary  of  Wealth,  The,"  150, 
162. 

Walcot,  Charles  M.,  133. 

Walker,  LieutenaJtf,  R.  N.,  6. 

"Wallace,"  149,  157. 

Wallack  and  Gilfert,  66  et  seq. 

Wallack,  Henry,  36,  41,  42,  43, 
45.  48,  54,  56,  57,  58,  66, 
76,  77- 

Wallack,  Mrs,  Henry  (Fanny 
Jones),  43,  55. 

Wallack,  James  William  (el- 
der), 21,  22,  23,  26,  45,  87, 
90,  95,  96,  98, 

Wallack,  J.  W.  (younger),  36 
note. 

Wallack,  Mrs.  J.  W.  (younger) 
(Ann  Waring,  Mrs.  Sef- 
ton),  164. 

Wallack's  Theatre  (Broadway 
and  Broome  Streets),  New 
York,  94,  127,  132. 

Wallack's  Theatre  (Broadway 
and  Thirteenth  St.),  New 
York,  94,  127,  132. 

Wallack's  Theatre  (Broadway 
and  Thirtieth  Street),  New 
Yorlc,  96. 

Walnut  Street  Theatre,  Phila- 
delphia, 104,  109,  no,  124, 
126,  127. 

Wahtein,  Miss,  6. 

Walstein,  Mrs.  J.  W.  (Char- 
lotte Baldwin,  Mrs.  Simp- 
son), 43,  55,  56,  58. 

Walton,  Thomas.  94,  104. 

"  Wandering  Boys,  The,"  156. 


Waring,Ann  (Mrs.  Sefton,Mrs. 

J.  W.  Wallack,  Jr.),  164. 
Waring,   Mrs.    (Caroline    Pla- 

cide,  Mrs.  W.  R.  Blake), 

43.  55,  56,  76,  127,  164. 
"  Warlock  of  the  Glen,  The," 

29,  44,  46,  148,  160. 
Warren  and  Wood,  16,  19,   35, 

40,  54. 
Warren,  Philip,  126. 
Warren,    William    (elder),    16, 

19.  35.  40.  48,  106. 
Warren,  ^f^w.  (younger),  19,  164. 
Washington,   D.  C,  16,  36,  ■}j'j, 

123,  130  note,  131. 
Washington      Gardens     (City 

Theatre),  Boston,  33, 
"  Way  to  Keep  Him,  The,"  33, 

153- 
"  Weathercock,  The,"  153,  163. 
Weed,  Thurlow,  164. 
Wemyss,  Francis  C,  41,  42, 109, 

122,  123,  124. 
"  Werter,"  148. 
"  West  Indian,  The,"  9,  24, 148, 

151.  155.  159- 

Westray,  Ellen  (Mrs.  John 
Darley),  12,  13. 

Westray,  Juliana  (Mrs.  Wm. 
B.  Wood),  18,  19,  35,  41, 
48,  108. 

Wheatlcy,  Frederick,  21,  25 
note,  103. 

Wheatley,  Mrs.  Frederick  (Sa- 
rah Ross),  21. 

Wheatley,  I.,  25. 

Wheatley,  S.,  21,  25  note. 

nheatley  Mrs.  S.  (Mrs.  Wil- 
liams), 21. 

IVheatley,  Wm.,  25  note. 


INDEX. 


"  Wheel  of  Fortune,  The,"  151, 

161,  162. 
"Where  Shall  I  Dine?"  162. 
Whitelock,   Mrs.   C.  E.  (Eliza- 
beth Kemble),  20. 
White,    Mary    (Mrs.    Charles 

Durang),  34,  43,  90,   108, 

121,  122,  135,  164. 
Whitiftg,  David,  102  note. 
"  Who  Wants  a  Guinea  ?  "  149, 

162, 
"Wild  Oats,"  26,  150,  161. 
"Will,  The,"  158. 
Willems,  Miss  (Mrs.  W.  Green), 

19. 
Williams,    Mrs.   H.  A.    (Mrs. 

Ma\-wood),  60,  64, 104,  no. 
Williams,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  S.  Wheat- 
ley),  21. 
Williamso7i,  Mr.  (vocalist),  43. 
"  William   Tell,"   48,    50,   149, 

158,  160. 
"Will  Watch,"  114,  118,  151. 
Wilson,  Alexander,  35,  78,  93, 

96,  100,  loi,  103,  115. 
"Wives  As  They  Were,"  14, 

150,  156. 
"  Woman  Xever  Vext,  A,"  158. 
"Wonder,  The,"  150,  157. 
Wood,   Wm.  B.,  16,  18,  19,  35, 

40,  41,  47,  48,  107,  loS,  126, 

139- 


Wood,  Wm.  B. : 

on  Mr.  Duff's  acting,  17,  35. 
Wood,  Mrs.    Win.  B.  (Juliana 

Westray),    18,    19,  35,  41, 

48,  108. 
Woodhull,  Jacob,  34,  37,  103. 
Woodhull,  John,  108. 
Woodworth,  Samuel,  65. 
Worrall,  Miss,  10. 
Wright,  Fanfty  (Mme.  D'Arus- 

mont),  104. 


"  Yes  or  Xo,"  156. 

Young,  Charles  (of  London),  46. 

Young,  Charles,  60,  61,  63,  64, 

76,  120,  123. 
his   marriage   to  Mrs.  Duff, 

1 20  et  scq. 
You7ig,  Mrs.  Charles  (Rebecca 

Foster),  60,  64. 
Young,  Dr.  Edivard,  15. 
Young,     Mrs.     Esther     (Mrs. 

Hughes),  21,    60,   61,   94, 

105. 
"  Young  Quaker,  The,"  162. 
Youfige,  Richard,  87. 


"Zembucca,"  24,  147,  159. 
"Zorinski,"  152,  163. 


University  Press:  John  Wilson  &  Son,  Cambridge. 


A   LIST   OF   BOOKS 


PtlBLISHED  BY 


Messrs.  James  R.  Osgood  &  Co. 


Any  book  on  this  list  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  the  adver- 
tised price. 


AMERICAN-ACTOR  SERIES  (The).     Edited  by  Lau- 

rence  Hutton.  A  serie8  of  volumes  by  the  best  writers,  embracing 
the  lives  of  the  most  famous  Ameiican  Actors.  Illustrated  with 
Portraits,  Views,  etc.  Each  in  one  vol.  12mo.  $1.25.  Now 
readj- :  Forrest,  the  Booths,  the  Jeffersons,  Charlotte  CusUman. 

ANGELUS  (Dr.  Henry  C.)  Records  of  the  Late  William 

M.  Hunt.    With   Illustrations.    1  vol.     Small  4to.     $1.50. 

ARNOLD'S  (George)  Poems.  Edited,  with  a  Biographi- 
cal Sketch  of  the  Poet,  by  William  Winter.  With  Portrait  and 
Illustrations.  1  vol.  16mo.  Cloth,  $1.50.  Half-calf,  $3.00.  Morocco 
antique  or  tree-calf,  $4.00. 

BARRETTS  (Lawrence)  Edwin  Forrest.    Vol.  I.  of  the 

American-Actor  Series.     1vol.     12mo.     $1.25. 

BLACKBURN'S  (Henry)  Breton  Folk:  An  Artistic  Tour 
in  Xormandy.  With  170  Illustrations  by  Randolph  Caldecott. 
1  vol.     Small  4to.     $1.50. 

BLAINE'S   (Hon.    James   G.)  Eulogy  on  James  Abram 

Garfield.    1  vol.    16mo.    With  Portrait.    50  cents. 

BOSTON,    The     Memorial     History    of.       Including    the 

Present  County  of  Suffolk.  1630-1880.  Seventy  eminent  Collabora- 
tors.     4  vols.    4to.    Copiously  illuetrated.     Send  for  Prospectus. 


A  List  of  Books  Published  by 


BUDGE'S  (Ernest  A.)  The  History  of  Esarhaddon,  King 

of  Assyria,  B.C.  681-668.     8vo.     Gilt  top.     $4  00. 

BURNETT'S  (Mrs.  Frances  Hodgson)  A  Fair  Barba- 
rian.   Ivol.    16mo.    $1.00. 

CESN OLA'S  (Gen.    L.    P.    di)    The    Cesnola    CoUection 

of  Cyprus  Antiquities.    A  Descriptive  and  Pictorial  Atlas.    Large 
folio.     500  Plates.     Sold  by  subscription  only. 

CHAMBERLAIN'S  (Basil  Hall)  The  Classical  Poetry 

of  the  Japanese.    1  vol.    Svo.    Gilt  top.    $3.00. 

CHENOWETH'S    (Mrs.   C.    Van    D.)     Stories   of    the 

Saints.     Beautifully  illustrated.    1  vol.    12mo.    $2.00. 

CLARKE'S    (Mrs.    Asia    Booth)    The  Elder   and    the 

Younger  Booth.  Vol.  III.  American-Actor  Series.  Illustrated.  $1.25. 

CLARKE'S  (Rev.  James  Freeman)  Self-Culture.     1  vol. 

12mo.    Cloth,  $1.50.    Half-calf,  $3.00. 

Events   and    Epochs    in    Religious    History : 

1  vol.     Crown  octavo.    With  many  Illustrations.    $3.00, 

CLEMENT'S  (Clara  Erskine)  A  Handbook  of  Legen- 
dary and  Mythological  Art.  With  a  profusion  of  Descriptive  IHustra- 
tions.  Fourteenth  Edition,  with  Revisions  and  New  Illustrations. 
1  vol.    Crown  Svo.     $3.00.    Half-calf,  $5.00.     Tree-calf,  $7.00. 

Painters,  Sculptors,  Architects,   Engi'avers, 

and  their  Works,     Sixth  Edition,  with  Revisions  and  New  Illustra- 
tions.  1  vol.    Crown  Svo.    $3.00.    Half-calf,  $5.00.     Tree-calf,  $7.00. 

Eleanor  Maitland.    A  Novel.    16mo.    $1.25. 

Charlotte  Cushman.    Vol.  IV.  of  the  Amer- 


ican-Actor Series.    Illustrated.    1  vol.    12mo.    $1.25. 
COLLING' S   (J.   K.)   Art-Foliage.     Entirely  new  Plates 

from  the  latest  enlarged  London  Edition.    Cloth.    Folio.    $10.00. 

CONGDON'S  (Charles  T.)  Reminiscences  of  a  Journal- 
ist.   Ivol.    12mo.     With  Portrait.    Cloth,  $1.50.    Half-calf,  $3.00. 

COOKE'S  (George  Willis)  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  :   His 

Life,  Writings,  and  Philosophy.    1  vol.    Crown  octavo.    $2.00. 

COOKE'S  (Mrs.   Laura  S.  H.)  Dimple  Dopp.     A  beau- 
tiful illustrated  juvenile.   Small  quarto,  elegantly  bound.    $1.50. 
COOKE'S  (Rose   Terry)  Somebody's  Neighbors.     1  vol. 

12mo.    Cloth,  $1.50.    Half-calf,  $3.00. 

CRANE'S  (Walter)  The  First  of  May.    A  Fairy  Masque. 

With  57  designs  by  Walter  Crane.    1  vol.    Oblong  folio.    $2.50. 

DAHLGREN'S    (Mrs.    Madeleine  Vinton)    South-Sea 

Sketches.    1  vol.    12mo.    $1.50. 

DAMEN'S  GHOST.  'Vol.  VI.  of  the  Round-Robin  Series 

of  anonymous  novels.    16mo.    $1.00. 

DAVIDSON'S  (J.  Morrison)  Eminent  English  Liberals. 

1  vol.    16mo.    $1.25. 


James  B.  Osgood  &  Co. 


DICKENS'S  (Charles)  Works.  University  Edition.  15  vols. 

12mo.    200  Illustrations.    Half-calf,  $50.00.    Sold  only  in  sets. 

Child's  History  of  England.     24  Illustrations. 

New  plates  and  large  type.    i2mo.    $1.00. 

The   Same.      100  fine  Illustrations.      12mo. 


Bevelled  and  gilt  extraJ    $2.50. 

DODGE'S    (Theodore    A.,   U.S.A.)   The  Campaign  of 

Chancellorsville.    1  vol.    8vo.    With  4  colored  maps.    $3.00. 

DOROTHEA.      Vol.    X.    of   the   Round-Robin    Series  of 

anonymous  novels.    16mo.    $1.00. 

DU  MAURIEIVS   (George)  Pictures   from  Society.    50 

full-page  Pictures  from  Punch.    1  vol.    4to.    Full  gilt.     $5.00. 

EASTWICICS  (Ed\7ard  B.)  The  Gulistan;  or,  Rose  Gar- 
den of  Shekh  Mushlin'ddin  Sadi  of  Shiraz.    8vo.     Gilt  top.   $3.50. 

E  WING'S  (Mrs.  Emma  P.)  Cooking  and  Castle-Building. 

1  vol.    16mo.    $1.00. 

FAVORITE-AUTHORS  SERIES: 

FA  VORITE  A  UTHORS.     A  Companion-Book  of  Prose 

and  Poetry.     With  Steel  Portraits.    1  vol.     12mo.    Full  gilt.    Cloth, 
$2.00.    Half-calf,  $4.00.    Morocco  antique,  $5.00, 

HOUSEHOLD  FRIENDS  for  Every  Season.    10  Steel 

Portraits.     1  vol.    12mo.     Full  gilt.    Cloth,  $2.00.    Half-calf,  $4.00. 
Morocco  antique,  $5.00. 

GOOD  COMPANY  FOR   EVERY   DAY   IN    THE 

YEAR.     With  Steel  Portraits.     1  vol.      12mo.    Full  gilt.    Cloth, 
$2.00.    Half-calf,  $4.00.    Morocco  antique,  $5.00. 

FEATHERMAN'S  (A.)  Aramaeans:  Social  History  of  the 

Races  of  Mankind.    8vo.    Uncut  edges.    Gilt  top.    664  pages.    $5.00. 

FORBES'S  (Archibald)  Glimpses  through  the  Cannon- 
Smoke.    1  vol.    12mo.    $1.00. 

FULLER'S   (Albert   W.)  Artistic   Homes  in   City  and 

Country.    Oblong  folio.    44  full-page  Illustrations.    $3.50. 

GARDNER'S   (E.  C.)   Homes,  and  How  to  Make  Them. 

In  Letters  between  an  Architect  and  a  Family  Man  seeking  a  House. 
30  Illustrations.    1  vol.    Square  12mo.    $1.50. 

Home  Interiors.     Illustrated  with  62  Plates 

designed  by  the  Author.    1  vol.    Square  12mo.    $1.50. 

Illustrated  Homes.    Illustrated  with  51  Plates 


designed  by  the  Author.    1  vol.    Square  12rao.    $1.50. 

GEORGIANS    (The).      Vol.    III.   of    the    Round-Robin 

Series  of  anonymous  novels.    16rao.     $4.00. 

GERA  LDINE :  A  Souvenir  of  the  St.  Lawrence.    A  poet- 
ical romance.    1  vol.    16mo.    $1.25. 

GOETHE'S  Faust.     Translated  into  English  Pi-ose  by  A. 
Hayward.    1  vol.    16mo.    $1.25. 


4  A  List  of  Books  Published  by 


GORDON'S  (Gex.  George  H.)  A  War  Diary  of  Events 

in  the  War  of  the  Great  Rebellion,  1863-1865.  With  three  Maps 
and  three  Illustrations.    1  vol.     12mo.     $3.00. 

GRANTS  (Robert)  Confessions  of  a  Frivolous  Girl.     1 

vol.    16rao.    $1.25. 

GREENOUGirS  (Mrs.  Richard)    Mary  Magdalene  :   a 

Poem.    In  unique  London  binding.     1  vol.     12mo.     $1.50. 

GUSTAFSON'S  (Mrs.  Zadel  Barnes)  Genevieve  Ward. 

A  Biographical  Sketch.     With  Illustrations.    1  vol.     $1.25. 

HALE'S  (Lucretia  P.)  The   Peterkin  Papers.      8  Hlus- 

trations.    1  vol.    16mo.    $1.00. 

HALL'S  (G.  Stanley,  Ph.D.)  Aspects  of  German  Culture. 

A  Volume  of  Essays  and  Criticisms.     1  vol.     12mo.    $1.50. 

HARTING'S  (James   Edmund,  F.L.S.,    F.Z.S.)    British 

Animals  Extinct  within  Historic  Times.  With  Some  Account  of 
British  Wild  White  Cattle.    Illustrated.    1vol.    8vo.    Gilt  top.    $4.50. 

HARTTS    (Professor    C.    F.)     Geology  and    Physical 

Geography  of  Brazil.    With  72  Illustrations.    In  preparation. 

HASSARD'S  (John  R.  G.)    A  Pickwickian   Pilgrimage. 

1  vol.     Small  16mo.     $1.00. 

HAYWARD'S   (Almira    L.)     The    Illustrated    Birthday 

Book  of  American  Poets.  Revised  and  enlarged  Edition,  with  Index 
for  names,  and  portraits  of  thirteen  great  American  Poets.  1  vol. 
ISmo.    $1.00.    Half-calf,  $2.25.    Flexible  morocco,  $3.50. 

HELIOTYPE  GALLERIES.      Elegant  quarto  volumes, 

richly  stamped  in  gold  and  colors,  with  Descriptive  Text  and  full- 
page  Heliotype  Engravings. 

GEMS     OF     THE     DRESDEN    GALLERY.       20 

Heliotypes,  with  Descriptions.    4to.     Full  gilt.    $7.50. 

THE  GOETHE  GALLERY.  21  Heliotypes,  from 
the  Original  Drawings  by  Wilhelm  VON  Kaulbach.  With 
Explanatory  Text.    4to.    Full  gilt.    $7.50. 

ENGRAVINGS  FROM  LANDSEER.     20  full-page 

Heliotypes.     With  a  Biography  of  Landseer.    4to.    Full  gilt.    $7.50. 

STUDIES  FROM  RAPHAEL.     24  choice  Heliotypes 

from  Raphael's  celebrated  Paintings.  With  Text  by  M.  T.  B. 
Emeric-David,  of  the  Institute  of  France.    4to.    Full  gilt.     $7.50. 

THE    TITIAN     GALLERY.      20    large     Heliotypes 

of  Titian's  chef-d'ceuvres.    With  a  Biography.    4to.    Full  gilt.    $7.50. 

TOSCHPS  ENGRA  VINGS,  from  Frescos  by  Correggio 

and  Parmegiano.    24  Heliotypes.    4lo.     Full  gilt.     $7.50. 

THE  GALLERY  OF  GREAT  COMPOSERS.     Fine 

Portraits  of  Bach,  Handel,  Gluck,  Haydn,  Mozart,  Beethoven, 
Schubert,  Von  Weber,  Mendelssohn,  Schuman,  Meyerbeer,  and 
Wagner.    Biographies  by  Rimbault.    4to.    Full  gilt.    $7.50. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETUKN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWBO 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below, 
or  on  the  date  to  which  renewed.  Renewals  only: 

TeL  No.  642-3405 
Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subjea  to  immediate  recall. 


im 

nmi^i 

.7D/.- 

/z. 

BECOLD 

-  - 

8/^-8PMlli 

14  DAY  USE 

RETUKN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  15  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below, 
or  on  the  date  to  which  renewed.  Renewals  only: 

TeL  No.  642-3405 
Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subjea  to  immediate  recall. 


mrtrwtwj 


BEC'D  LP 


Q  rd-sPUill 


